The Hunter's 'Tail'
by CrimsonBlade11
Summary: What happens when a mage hunter finds himself trapped in a world dominated by magic users? What happens when Fiore's rowdiest guild manages to convince him to join? A soldier and warrior by nature, Lyall will change the course of fate that has been set. Outcomes will change. Lives saved and lost. This mage hunter will spark a revolution; nothing will be the same...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim ownership of Fairy Tail, just the OC's I use. Also, I do own the semi-crazy D&D PC, Lyall.

**A/N:** _Here I am with another fic idea that won't leave me the hell alone. This came from a foray into another fic, but with a more focused viewpoint. However, it's a simple concept: drop a mage hunter, with a healthy and accepting view on life, into a world dominated by magic users and simply watch and see what happens. In the world that Fairy Tail occupies, it's quite easy to throw a character like Lyall into it. He's the type of guy who can adapt to any situation, regardless of what others say._

_I'm not making this a legitimate crossover, per se, because it will primarily be through Lyall's perspective, and he's a martial combatant, so no arcane spells will be flying from his fingertips. Not many things will be said pertaining to the world from which Lyall originates, it's just not that important to the story. There may be a few flashbacks, but they'll just be about interactions with other characters that he knew in the past.  
_

_I'll be doing something I don't normally do and post 4 chapters right off the back. They're the prologue, which obviously set up the story as a whole; I would've put it all in as one chapter, but it's 70 pages altogether and I don't post chapter that long. They'll normally be in the 15-20 range, maybe a little higher. _

_This won't be a rehash, I can promise that. Lyall's too savvy and skilled to allow the mistakes that happened in canon to remain, but then again, he's nowhere near perfect, so he'll mess up here and there. Domino affect and all, it may cause a few deaths, save a few lives, here and there... But that won't be until the story really gets rolling.  
_

_As for a pairing, it's pretty obvious what the main pairing will be, even in this chapter. It'll be a monogamous pairing, so no harem. As for Kouta, I'm entertaining a few different ideas, so feel free to give me some recommendations. No harem, though, I'm writing enough of those already._

_Anyway, I hope I wrote the characters well, so read/review/enjoy.  
_

**The Hunter's 'Tail'**

Prologue

Part One

- The Occult Slayer -

I surged forward, my dark blue cloak billowing behind me as I pursued my opponent. My light grey eyes were focused on the raging beast my ally was engaging, the double-sided axe wielding orc. I moved effortlessly across the battlefield, my feet smoothly navigating the rocky terrain as though I've walked it my entire life. Reaching the barbarian, I swung my first bastard sword low, aiming for the back of the thigh.

The orc stabbed behind himself with one end of his weapon, blocking my slash at the same time as the warrior's sword before him. Pushing my blade away, he gave a mighty roar and brought his axe down on the knight before him.

Evanger lifted his sword and blocked the attack, nearly buckling under the strength of the strike. "Lyall!" He cried out.

"Understood." I brought both of my twin blades to bear. Twisting them both in my grasp, I sucked in a slow breath and immediately proceeded to tear into the orc's back. Enchanted leather gave way as black steel tore effortlessly through, dispelling any and all enchantments present. Unfortunately, despite all the damage I hoped I was doing, the orcish barbarian simply let out a challenging roar. In response, all I could do was grimace in annoyance. Hefting one of my swords above my head, I let out my own bellowing roar and brought all of my strength to bear in order to carve into the beast's neck. Flesh gave way as adamantine steel met tough, corded muscle.

I'm awesome, aren't I?

The orc howled in agony and roughly pushed Evanger away, causing the man to tumble back, landing on his back. It spun and bellowed in rage, swinging his axe towards the one who injured him.

I smirked, feeling smug that I had injured the orc to such a degree. Though my enemy would never see it, due to the mask that covered the lower half of my face. Stepping back, I narrowly evaded the slash. Bringing my swords to bear again, I began to trade blows with the larger, more physically imposing, opponent. Using my superior agility and speed, I was able to not only keep up with my opponent, but also strike with my own attacks. Dancing between slashes from both ends of the axe, I tried to always remained on the move, my body being pushed to its absolute limit.

"Lyall, Evanger! I'm here!" A third individual rushed into the clearing. "Get away from him!" He lifted his hand and began to chant lightly under his breath.

I smirked grimly and redoubled my assault on the orc in front of me. Black steel sang as it flew threw the air, as if carving the sky itself, and tore into the orc's hide, causing blood to fly from the wound. I would continue to engage this beast because no matter what Auren threw at the both of us, I was confident that I could evade it, no matter what it was.

So it continued. Twins waves of black would tear into the orc and a wave of red would continually try and eviscerate me in turn.

Then _it_ happened.

"Reality Maelstrom!" Auren cried out, gesturing directly towards the orc. However, the instant he finished the spell, someone appeared next to him and struck him in the side with a mace.

I quickly ducked, evading one last slash of the axe and bent my legs. Putting as much as strength as I could into them, I pushed himself away with my legs, trying to put distance between myself and the orc.

However, the orc was much faster on the uptake. It threw out an empty hand and caught me by the ankle. A dark grin spread on its features as it squeezed the limb in its grasp.

I clenched my teeth, fighting back the scream of pain as I literally felt my ankle shatter in the fearsome grip. I've felt worse against much more dangerous opponents in the past, so my pride wouldn't allow me to show any weakness against this enemy.

In that instant, _something_ began to take shape right next to the orc. It started as a slight shift in space, then grew to an influx of color. Suddenly, a massive tear appeared next to the orc. That was when everything began to be sucked into the tear, from the air to the color itself.

The orc was closest. He was quickly pulled into the rip, already lifted off of his feet. He grinned, giving me a dark glare. "I'm not going alone."

My eyes widened as I felt the pull of the spell. Before I could do anything else, I was also instantly pulled into the tear, watching as my comrades vanished from sight.

* * *

- The Water Dragon Slayer -

A young boy walked down a well-worn path down through a forest. He faced ahead resolutely, his dark blue eyes unable to hide the nervous hesitancy a boy his age would feel about traveling alone. He wasn't afraid of being hurt, he could take care of himself in the wilderness. Nor would a fight scare him, he's been trained by his mother to use a special type of magic, so he could protect himself adequately. What he was afraid was, though, was the solitude he felt after waking up one day seeing that his mother was gone.

Kouta flexed his hand as he stopped walking. The last thing he remembered his mother telling him to do was to join a guild. To find friends and allies that he could stand by and protect; that that was the only way to grow truly strong. Adjusting the pack on his shoulders, he resumed walking down the path. One foot in front of the other, on his journey towards to finding a new home.

Looking up, he noticed something in the distance. A glint of light struck him in the eye, causing him to cover his eyes. Wiping them, he walked a little faster to try and get a better look at what was falling from the sky. Squinting his eyes, he finally saw the: two individuals falling, fighting one another in slashes of steel.

Pushing himself forward, Kouta ran towards where he thought the two people would land. Moving as fast as he possibly could, he tried to reached their point of descent. Cutting through the trees, he looked through the foliage and kept the two falling figures in sight.

After a few moments, the two falling figures finally reached the ground. Two individuals, complete different in appearance, impacted the ground in completely different ways. The larger of the two struck the ground in a crouch, causing the earth below to crater in response to sudden addition in weight. The...thing looked nothing like a human. It's skin was a dull grey and had two large tusks sticking out over its upper lip. It wore a collection of leathers that hang off of its form, left in the form of rags. In its hands, it carried a large double sided axe.

The other individual looked completely human, though he was clad in a cloak of dark blue and a black vest. In the both of his hands, he held a black sword, each of which radiated magic. On his left arm, a small circular shield was attached to the center part of his forearm. That one struck the ground lying down, his back impacted the hard earth, eliciting a pained grunt from him.

The larger beast chuckled darkly, hefting his axe. "You put up a fight, little one. You should've stayed away." Standing in front of the prone man, he lifted his axe high above his head.

"Water Dragon's Flowing Strike!"

Kouta shot forward, leaving his bag next to a tree at the edge of the clearing. His body moved fluidly, as if gliding across the earth, and he threw his fist forward. It struck the orc on the side, but stopped just short of actually pushing forward.

The orc stopped his axe, slowly turning his head to Kouta. "Leave before I ki-" The orc coughed violently and was suddenly thrown back by an invisible force, striking a tree with enough force to knock it onto the ground.

Kouta turned and instantly ran to the man on the ground. Crouching next to him, he asked, "Sir, are you okay?"

He groaned and gritted his teeth, trying to get up. Kouta went to help him, while the reply came. "I just fell out of the sky. What do you think?" His eyes widened, looking over the boy's shoulder. "Behind you!"

Kouta simply twisted around, slamming his foot into the orc's side. Just like before, the orc was violently thrown away, slamming into another tree.

"How in the hell are you doing that?!" Kouta heard the man ask.

"Magic." He said, matter-of-factly. "I'm a wizard." Kouta grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to his feet. "Hurry up and come on!"

The man groaned as balanced on a single foot, his ankle throbbing painfully. "A wizard, eh? You're not like the wizards I know." He looked up to see the orc charging towards the two of them again. "Get down! He's coming back." The man hefted his sword and pushed Kouta to the side, leaning on him at the same time. He swung his sword as hard as he could and met the descending axe.

Upon impact, the axe-head shattered as the adamantine blade met regular smelted steel. Pushing off of Kouta, the man spun on his only remaining good foot and slashed with his other sword. The blade carved into the orc's arm, cutting through flesh and bone.

Ignoring its loss of an arm and one end of its axe, the orc quickly flipped the axe in its grip and slashed upwards, tearing into the man's stomach.

Blood poured onto the ground from both combatants as the man collapsed next to the growing pool as he was nearly disemboweled. He hissed in pain, letting one of his swords go in order to try and hold his open gut together.

Orc reared back its head and let out a savage roar in delight.

Kouta simply froze in fear. The two individuals before him were not fighting, but also aiming to kill. He was completely out of his depth. Nothing his mother ever taught him would help him here. The orc before him was entirely too strong, able to shrug his most powerful attack in an instant.

"Run..."

Kouta heard a strangled voice beseech him. He looked over to the man who had just saved his life. "Wha..?"

"Run!" He cried, but a boot struck him across the head, causing his eyes to roll to the back of his head.

"Sorry, but the whelp's going to die first. That attack of his actually hurt." The orc turned and began to approach Kouta, swinging its axe menacingly with its only hand.

Kouta released a ragged breath. Semi-frozen in fear, he staggered backwards, but fell onto his butt. "H-help..." He whimpered, tears beginning to come to his eyes.

"No help." The orc grinned evilly as it lifted its axe.

Suddenly, three feet of black steel tore through its back and stuck out through its stomach. The orc coughed out blood, causing it to pour from its mouth and cover its chin. "Sorry, but I can't let you kill him." The man's voice sounded from behind the orc, confidence evident under the pained speech. "The kid saved my life. I gotta return the favor, don't I?"

The orc dropped its knees, unable to take anymore pain. It grimaced one more time before collapsing to the side, breathing no more.

The man grunted as he ripped his sword free. He was on his knees, a single, blood-drenched hand holding his stomach closed. His face was set in a pained grimace as he gave one last look to the fallen orc, then he looked to Kouta. "Are...are you hurt?" He said, though it was strained.

Struck silent for a moment, Kouta finally shook his head. "No, I'm fine..."

The man smiled lightly, "Thank goodness. I'd hate to have anyone hurt due to my...weakness..." He then collapsed to the side, quickly losing consciousness.

Kouta sucked in a breath and scrambled over to the man. "Who are you? Are you okay?"

The man looked at him with a half-open, half-conscious eye, "Lyall..." It closed and he quickly left the land of conscious.

Kouta breathed quickly, looking around, as though he were trying to find something to help the man he had saved and was in turn saved by. He looked around frantically, completely at a loss for what to do. One hand, he wanted to leave, to just let this stay behind him. On the other, he felt ashamed for thinking that about the person who just about died to save him. But what could he do? He didn't know any Healing Magic. He wasn't even sure magic could heal the injuries this 'Lyall' had gained.

"What's happened here?"

Kouta jumped at the question. Quickly turning, he took notice of three people coming into the clearing. One was a man and the other two were women. The man was short, shorter than him, with a white beard and a bald head framed by white. He wore a yellow cloak with a blue symbol on the back.

The girls were a few years older than Kouta. One has red hair and wore a silver breast plate with a red bow and long flowing white skirt. Covering her arms were white sleeves, and upon her legs were blue stockings and brown boots covering her feet.

The other wore very little. She very short shorts with a white belt and dark blue stockings. She also wore a midriff showing purple tank top. Her long white hair was tied into a ponytail by a large purple bow.

"Th-there was a f-fight..." Kouta began, but shook his head. "I-it wasn't just a fight... It w-was a duel to the death." He paused, shook his head again. "They fell from the sky!" He looked at his hands and froze when he saw the blood. He had been trying to help Lyall, so that was where the blood came from. "I-I-I had to help... Lyall was h-hurt..."

He felt a hand placed on his shoulder. "It's okay. It's difficult." The old man said softly. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Mira, Erza, get him to the guild."

Kouta felt his eyes widen. "No! You can't leave Lyall! He's alive, I know he is!" He quickly shook the aforementioned man, "Hey, wake up. Let them know you're still alive." No response. "Hey!" He shook him again. "Hey..."

It was a moment of silence before Lyall coughed lightly, convulsing.

Kouta smiled widely, "See, he's still alive!"

Lyall gasped, grimacing in pain as he pressed a hand onto the ground. Something shone brightly for a moment before flickering out. Then, out from under his vest, an amulet fell freely, swinging side to side. He grimaced darkly as she tried to push himself to sitting position, but his strength failed him, sending his body crashing back to the ground. He let out a pained gasp. Though he gritted his teeth to hold back a scream, but said, "Hey...kid..."

"Yeah?" Kouta said hopefully.

"Are you still okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Then what are you doing here?" He said with a strained smirk. "You're not supposed to hang around a battle as bloody as this... Bad things happen..." He craned his neck to look around him. Seeing the newcomers, he arched an eyebrow. "Can I help you? I-I haven't really prepared anything for guests, so you'll have to deal with my mess." He smiled lightly, or tried to, and continued, "Hope you're not squeamish..."

The old man frowned, "You act like you've done this before."

Lyall snorted, smirked and said, "You have no idea." He then grimaced, going on to say, "If you want to hear more of my comedic gold, I'd like some healing. I don't think I'll have a repeat performance of waking back up."

The corner of the old man's mouth twitched up, but he turned and said, "Mira, are you going to be able to fly while holding him?"

The white-haired girl placed a hand on her hip. "That depends on his wound. It may jostle him a bit too much. It will hurt, I can say that much."

The old man looked down to Lyall. "You heard her. Are you willing to take the risk?"

Lyall did his best to give the man a dry look. "I was nearly disemboweled by that axe-toting monster. I can handle a little pain." He grimaced, fighting back another scream.

"Okay." He Looked over his shoulder. "Mira."

"Understood, Master." She walked over to the bleeding warrior and grimaced at the sight. Though she didn't know him, she couldn't help but respect a guy who could still hold a conversation while losing that much blood. Standing above him, she said, "Partial Take-Over." A circle appeared behind her back as a pair of leathery wings were suddenly upon her back. Crouching down, she looked down to Lyall and said, "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He quipped, trying to move in a favorable position.

Lifting him gently, she could hear his well-concealed whimpers. He still tried to remain silent, keeping his pain to himself. He grumbled something.

"What?" Mira asked him.

"My swords. Don't leave them here..." He grimaced, holding a hand over his stomach.

"You're bleeding out through your stomach, and you're worried about a pair of swords?" Mira rolled her eyes, _Don't tell me we have a male Erza, now..._

"Yep." He wanted to say more, but the pain in his stomach was silencing him.

"I'll get them for you." The redhead, Erza, said in response.

"Thank you." He grounded out, gratefully. Looking to Mira, he managed to say, "I'd say we go now. I'd hate to get more of my blood on you."

Mira took a quick look at her body, and noticed that he was indeed right. Grimacing, she said, "Okay, let's hurry. Master, we'll be at the guild. I don't think Lyall can make it all the way to Porlyusica's home."

He nodded and the two of them were off.

Kouta watched them leave. "Will Lyall be alright?"

The Master patted Kouta on the shoulder. "We'll have my friend Porlyusica fix him up. There isn't a better healer in all of Magnolia."

"Master Makarov, I think you need to see this..."

Makarov looked to Erza, "What is it?"

Erza was holding one of Lyall's bastard swords as though it were some holy artifact. Her eyes were wide as she looked over the weapon. "His sword...it's enchanted beyond belief... I've never seen anything like it..."

Makarov smiled and shook his head. "Erza. Just grab his other sword and get little Kouta here to the guild. I'll deal with this mess..."

* * *

- The Occult Slayer -

"You know, you're my favorite person here so far." I said with a content smile.

An older woman with long pink hair tied in a ponytail in the back arched an eyebrow. "Really? What makes you say that?" She was adding the addition to the cast around my left ankle.

"Anyone who heals my wounds is my favorite person. I make it a point to become best friends with the healer, because I know there will come a time when they might have to risk their life to save mine." I allowed my grin to come easily.

Porlyusica shook her head and poked the cast on a certain spot, making me gasp lightly in pain. "Just to let you know, I hate all humans. I only healed you because Makarov is a friend from the past."

"Fair enough. I deserved that." I groaned painfully, squeezing the side of the bed I was resting on. Closing my eyes, I placed a hand on my stomach, the bandages slightly wet from my blood. Turning to the side, I took notice of the girl who had flown me to the guild to be treated. "You know, I'm not ungrateful for what you did, but you don't need to stay by my bedside." I tried to put my arms behind my head, but the movement pulled at my stomach wound.

A small blush grew on Mira's face as I took notice of her gazing at my bare chest. I'm not narcissistic; I don't think I'm next best thing since adamantine steel, but I do know that I'm well built. I have muscle, but not too much of it. I've trained specifically so I could move quickly and strike as hard as possible, no matter the situation. Also, I've been around enough people to notice when someone is checking me out. Plus, it helps that I can follow where her eyes are looking. "Master Makarov told me to make sure you were healed, so I'm going to stay here until you're properly taken care of."

I arched an eyebrow at her, "Eh, whatever. You don't have to go that far. I'm grateful that you got me here but I can handle everything else." I paused, looked to my wound, then to Porlyusica, "Well, her awesome healing and my superb physical fortitude." Of, that's when my stomach began to growl, causing me to grimace in pain. "It hurts to be hungry."

Porlyusica smirked lightly, "I have to say, it's a first for me to have a patient to actually be pained when it comes to a growling stomach."

"You've never been practically disemboweled." I placed a hand on my stomach and grumbled lightly.

The healer shook her head. "Well, until that stomach of yours heals, all I'll allow you to have are liquids." She looked to Mira, "Mirajane, can you get him some soup?"

I snorted, but grimaced, "It'll take more than soup to sate this beast." I gestured to my stomach, hearing another growl.

She shook her head and gave Mira another look, to which she nodded. The girl stood and was about to walk away, but I quickly grabbed her hand. "Please, make it chunky. I'm starving." I practically begged the girl, hoping she's take pity on the injured man lying on the bed.

Mira ripped her hand from mine and walked out of the infirmary.

Porlyusica paused for a moment, then said, "You're from another world, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am." I simply lied there, looking at the ceiling. "A spell went crazy and the orc I was fighting dragged me into it." I then turned to the healer, "And you?"

The older woman smiled lightly, "It's a secret."

I tried to shrug, but grimaced again. "Can't you fault you there. We've all got a secret or two." I released a breath and said, "When they get here with my things, can you look through my bag. It has bottle with a glowing liquid. I have to drink some of it, but I'll give the rest to you."

She was silent for a moment. "What do you mean? What is it?"

"Healing potion. Pretty low level one, though. It won't do much, so I'll still need the bandages."

"Why?"

I cleared my throat, "You helped me. So I want to help you." I smirked and said, "Not all humans are bad, though I've met quite few irredeemable ones in my adventures."

Before she could say anything, door to the infirmary was pushed open and Kouta, Erza and Makarov all walked inside. Kouta beamed, "You're alright!"

"As alright as a guy who just got disemboweled can be." I gestured Erza, "Did you get my bag, miss?"

Erza paused, but nodded. She walked over to me and placed my bag on the chair. "Yes, but call me Erza. Also..." She held one of my swords in her hands. "What did you do to get a sword like this? Where can you get this steel?"

I chuckled lightly, glad that there was someone who could appreciate my treasured weapons, "My world. I saved up a bunch of gold and had it forged. Then my friend enchanted it. One was expensive enough, but the two of them...I was flat broke for months." I looked Porlyusica then to the bag. The woman nodded and walked over to the bag; opening it, she looked through the contents and must have found what I described. She then pulled the bottle out of the bag and handed it to me, I popped it open and took a quick swig. Downing half of it, I closed it back and lied back.

Within moments, everyone in the room watched as my grievous stomach slowly began to heal over. I held my breath, trying to contain a small groan from the uncontrolled movement around my stomach wound. Releasing a slow breath, I held the bottle to the healer. When she took it, I said, "Kouta, help me out over here." The boy walked over to me and paused as I placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to pull myself up slowly.

Of course it's 'tried' because everyone instantly tried to push me back onto the bed. "You're still injured Lyall. You cannot stand up yet." Makarov's hand surprisingly grew to twice its size and pushed Me back on the bed. I paused in slight wonder as I looked at the enlarged limb. I didn't even hear an incantation, it was so sudden.

I closed my eyes, trying keep from giving each of them a frustrated glare. "It's alright. The potion healed the worst of my injury." There's that and I'm too damn restless to stay .

"What do you mean?" The old man asked.

"Let me stand up and you'll see." I gave him a look that seemed to give off my frustration.

Makarov was silent for a moment, but nodded.

"Master, he's injured!" Erza said, shocked at the man's acquiescence.

I cleared my throat, feeling a thirst add on to my growing hunger. "Not as much as before, thankfully." I groaned and slowly turned on the bed, sitting up gradually. Breathing slowly, I closed my eyes, allowing my body to adjust. After a few moments, I pushed himself to my feet, careful to keep the weight off my left foot. Releasing a small breath, I rolled his shoulders lightly and crossed my arms, standing at my full height. "There. I may not be able to do anything strenuous, like fighting, running, or my regular acrobatic epicness, but I can still move on my own." I looked to Porlyusica, smirking lightly. "I'll have something substantial to eat now. Simple soup will not sate the beast that is my appetite."

Once again, let me make this clear, I do not think I'm an unstoppable badass that all the women flock to, but I'm able to catch the occasional look of admiration from a mile away, especially from a young girl with very little experience. I couldn't help but notice Erza's blush as she stood to the side, examining my chest and arms. I was about to make a sarcastic remark about it, but something caused her to finally break away.

My stomach growled; and rather loudly at that.

At that, everyone cracked a smile, then slowly started laughing out loud. I simply frowned, while at the same time trying not to pout like a child, and said, "That's not funny... I'm starving over here..."

* * *

"Ohh, this is so good!" I said as I put another spoonful of the human made ambrosia.

Mira simply crossed her arms from her seat across from me and smirked. "I'm glad you think so. Since I was the one who made it."

I paused, giving her a wide-eyed, grateful look. "You made this?" Taking another bite, I let out another small moan. "I'd so totally ask you to marry me if you were a little older."

Mira froze, her face alighting with a dark blush.

Everyone else in the guild bust out laughing, taking my comment in stride.

It was a little while later that I was introduced to everyone in the guild. It was during said introduction that Mira had arrived with the soup and I had cut everything off, opting to eat my fill until the beast that was my appetite was sated.. The two of u were sitting at one of the tables closest to the bar.

As I continued to eat the soup, I looked around the guild. I had to admit, the guild did feel rather homey, inviting even. What struck me as odd was the camaraderie amongst everyone there. I didn't know of any place in the Shieldlands that gave off this feeling; then again, that was a place constantly at war with a dark god, so the impending doom would kind of overshadow the desire to make extremely close friends. Even between myself, my friend of eight years Auren and his apprentice, Evanger, weren't as close as some of the people here. It felt...strange, but warm to me.

"Tell me, where's the kid? Kouta?" I felt the need to ask.

Another person, a young man, replied to the question. "Gramps is showing him around. After seeing you, he wanted to see the guild." He looked to be a few years older than Mira and Erza, but still younger than the other men sitting at the bar. He wore a long sleeve black shirt with a dark yellow short sleeve shirt and dark green cargo pants. Covering his ears were a set of spiked headphones and covering his head were spikes of yellow hair.

"Mm, well, it's good the kid has a chance to find a place to stay." I said softly, taking another bite. After a moment's pause, I released a breath. "Where are my manners? I just got here and I haven't even introduced myself. Name's Lyall."

"Laxus." The teen who answered my earlier questioned replied.

"Macao." Another man replied, he wore a blue shirt and a pair of white pants. His hair was a slightly spiky and blue.

"Wakaba." A man of similar age replied, he had the beginnings of the pompadour hairstyle and wore a pair of sunglasses.

"Cana." A young girl around Mira's and Erza's age said with a smile. Her dark brown hair was tied in the back, in a ponytail. How many girls here have ponytails? Is it the latest thing or what? Her bangs were parted equally to the sides.

"Gray." Strangely, I found myself looking at a young boy wearing nothing but a pair of blue boxers.

"Um..." I paused in slight shock. Looking towards the others, I asked, while gesturing to Gray, "Is it normal in this world for little boys to walk around in nothing but their underwear?"

"Gray! Your clothes!" Cana said quickly, prompting Gray to jump up in shock and dive under the table. Unfortunately, the sudden action jarred the table and caused the bowl in front me to flip to the side, spilling the delectable meal.

I looked on in utter shock at the mess in front of me. "Ah! My food!" I cried out as I lifted my arms in total shock, "What have I done to deserve such misfortune!?" Placing my arms back onto the table, I cleared my throat and grabbed the bowl. Holding it out to Mira, I continued, "Excuse me, Mira, may I have another?"

She simply blinked at the sudden change in attitude. Mira was finally starting to see me for the mildly unhinged person I admit to being. I mean, seriously, if anyone has seen or experience any of the things that I have, then they'd probably be just as warped as I am. Then again...everyone copes differently...

She released a breath and grabbed the bowl brusquely. Getting to her feet, she said, "Fine, but this will be the last bowl. You're too injured to eat too much." Turning, she strode towards the bar.

"Look at Mira, acting like a concerned housewife." Macao grinned, then jabbed me in the arm with an elbow. "I think she likes you, Lyall."

Mira flushed heavily at that, but I quickly spoke up. "I don't know about that. Mira doesn't seem like that type that has a lot of patience for hyper people like me." I shrugged, "Besides, I'm known to drive people up a wall when left unchecked."

I crossed my arms gingerly, trying not to aggravate my annoying wound. "While I may have said something serious right now, I wouldn't get used to it. These are once a year type of things." I grinned lightly as I watched Mira hand me another bowl full of soup. When I took the bowl, I clearly had the look of a kid in a candy store. Digging in, I tried in vain to look presentable as everyone started conversing around me.

At that moment a young girl walked through the guild's front entrance. She was a petite girl with wide, bright blue eyes. Her white hair was in a perfect bob cut and she wore a pink one piece dress. She looked around for a moment, before spotting her target. She raced forward and said, "Mira-nee, I was looking for you!" Before she said anything, she took notice of me and smiled widely, "Hi! You must be new. I'm Lisanna."

I lifted a hand and smiled in response. "Hi, Lisanna. I'm Lyall."

"Are you here to join Fairy Tail?" She asked.

I was about to answer, but paused.

"Lisanna, you can't just ask him that. He's been injured." Mira chided the young girl.

"I'm fine. Believe it or not, I've had worse." I said offhandedly, but I couldn't stop thinking about her question.

Should I join this guild?

That caught Mira's attention. "Wait, you're saying you've had worse than...before?" She obviously didn't want to say what was wrong with me earlier, due to everyone else around us.

"Yep. Considering the adventures I've been on, it's pretty standard." I placed my spoon next to my bowl, my brow furrowed in thought. "What's this about joining Fairy Tail? I'm not from here... Would it still be possible?"

Macao smirked lightly, "It's not that difficult to get citizenship, all you need to do is fill out some paperwork. As long as you don't break any of Fiore's laws, any wizard can join a guild."

"But I'm not a wizard. If I'm not a wizard, can I still join a guild?"

"You're not a wizard?" Mira asked him, confused. "Then how were able to survive that?"

I felt myself grin widely, "Because I'm that awesome."

Mira groaned and rolled her eyes, though a flush was present on her cheeks.

"As long as the Master okays it, then it should be okay."

I grinned, "Well, I've never been one to second guess myself, so let's go. I'd like to join." I paused, then said, "If you guys will have me that is."

There was a round of positive responses that I couldn't help but allow myself to smile.

At that, Kouta ran into the guild. Coming to a stop, he slid across the floor and said, "Hey, Lyall, guess what I'm joining Fairy Tail!"

I felt myself grin, matching the boy's own expression, "So am I."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim ownership of Fairy Tail, just the OC's I use. Also, I do own the semi-crazy D&D PC, Lyall.

**The Hunter's 'Tail'**

Prologue

Part Two

- One Week Later -

I leaned against the bar from seat on one of the stools. At my side was mug of water that Macao had got for me. Since I had yet to start going on jobs, I didn't really have any money of my own. Unfortunately, until I can start going out on jobs, I'll have to live off of others for a little while. There's also the fact that I know nothing of people or places here, so I'll need to have someone help me learn the lay of the land.

Though, I had to wait until my wounds healed.

Just a little longer until Porlyusica returned to the guild and gave me the okay, then I can finally get back on my feet. I must will her to arrive now; if I have to sit around any longer, then I'll go crazy...more so than I already am, of course.

"What did you say to me, streaker!?" Another young boy in the guild pointed to Gray and challenged him. He was Gray's age, but he had spiky pink hair and always had a white scarf on him. From what little I had seen of everyone in the guild, it seemed to be Gray that he had primarily fought with on a daily basis.

"You heard me, pinky!" Gray retaliated, getting right in the boy's face.

I simply blinked as I watched the two nearly come to blows, only for Erza to step and push the two apart, striking a fear into them that Auren would've loved to use on me when I got out of hand. Shaking my head, I turned to Macao and said, "I've been for around a week and I've seen this happen at least twice every single day. Are you sure it's normal or am I seeing things?"

The man laughed lightly, "You ask that every single day, Lyall. It's normal for them to fight and it's normal for Erza to break them up." He gave one last look to my drink and said, "Are you sure you don't want a real drink? I already know you're old enough."

I shook my head, taking a swig of my water. "And I'm telling you, you don't want me drunk around a bunch of kids. Bad things happen when I am drunk, things that children should not bare witness to."

Macao snorted, "They're all in their early teens."

I snorted, "Fine then, but I'm still not going to drink." Releasing a small breath, I simply watched the chaos unfold amongst the younger kids in the guild. Crossing my arms, I smirked as I noticed Erza walking towards me, my swords strapped to her back. As she approached me, I watched as she undid the straps and pulled the sheathed swords from her back. "So, what did you think of my weapons?"

She smiled widely, "They handle well. The hilts are worn and fit effortlessly in my grip. Their sturdiness is also superb, I was able to deflect several attacks from reaching me, magical or otherwise." Though she held them out to me, I noticed that she was just a little hesitant to let them go. "I just hope our world has steel as strong as the adamantine your blades are forged from."

I took the swords and shrugged, "I really don't know. The steel came from a meteorite that crashed on my home world. There could still be a chance this place could get something like it...but, it would expensive as all hell." I leaned my sword against my stool and took another drink. "Though I'm glad you're keeping my blades from rusting, after I get the go-ahead for strenuous activities, I'll be keeping my weapons."

Erza nearly pouted, though she crossed her arms. "You have to at least let me use one when you're not on a job."

I shook my head. "Sorry, nope. I'm a two weapon fighter. I'm never going to willingly separate these two swords." I grinned at the childishly impetuous glare she threw at me. "How about I buy you a strawberry cake after I do my first job? To make up for it."

Erza's eyes widened slightly at the delectable offer, then she narrowed them. "I'll hold you to it, Lyall."

I rolled my eyes, "I know you will..." Of all the things I've seen over the course of this passed week, the most frightening would be the rage that girl gives off when someone ruins her cake. Nothing has scared me more. First note to remember, always keep myself from getting between Erza Scarlet and her strawberry cake.

Of course, at that moment, Mira came barreling into the guild hall. Her face was flushed lightly and she was panting lightly. She had a slightly manic glee as she stomped towards the bar. Brushing passed Erza, she pushed her away with a hand to the face and stating, "Move fat ass." With Erza out of the way, she grabbed my hand and pushed a letter into it. "I checked with Porlyusica everyday. Everyday, I asked when you would be able to fight without hurting yourself."

I arched an eyebrow at her and ripped open the letter. When I read its contents, I felt a wide grin appear on my face.

"You know what this means right?" Mira grinned darkly.

I arched an eyebrow at her, "I can go on jobs now?"

"Not yet, because you're going to fight me. Right now, outside the guild." She clenched her fists in anticipation.

That caught everyone's attention. It was surprising, because even Natsu and Gray had stopped fighting and were both giving me wide-eyed, frightened looks. Macao and Wakaba looked to each other, then to me; Erza rolled her eyes and shook her head. From throughout the entire guild, I was given look that ran the gamut from shock to fear to apprehension. Truthfully, I wasn't surprised in the least; from what I've seen of how Mira acted around others, she was quite the tormentor, pushing various people around. The only people she didn't really do anything to were Elfman and Lisanna, her younger brother and sister, and Erza, who seemed to be able to fight back.

When she challenged me to the fight, I did the mature and responsible thing. "Nope. I don't fight children." I stood and grabbed my swords and started walking towards the notice board.

As I did, however, my instincts screamed for me to act. Quickly unsheathing one of my swords, I flipped it in my grasp and planted the flat of the blade against my forearm, turning to the side. A scaled fist impacted the small defense I put up, pushing me back a few inches before I planted my feet and allowed the force to dissipate. So far, it was only her arm that changed, because she still looked like she normally did, though her left arm was partially covered in what looked like fishnet scales and a partially golden gauntlet. I felt my eyes narrow as I my voice came out in a low whisper. "You can bully the others as much as you want, but you won't touch me."

"Now, now! Lyall just healed, Mira." Makarov stepped out of the backroom and hopped onto the bar, taking a seat. "Calm down and stop this."

"She doesn't have to do that, Makarov." I felt a rush of adrenaline rush through me as I held Mira back. "I now think it's a good thing that she's done this." I grinned lightly, "It's time the guild sees first hand that what I can do, even if it's only a taste." I lifted my back foot and stepped forward, suddenly pushing Mira away from me. She skipped back, her face in a slight smirk.

"Are you sure, Lyall?" Makarov asked me one more time.

I simply flipped the sword in my grasp, holding it upright. "I may not have her fancy powers, bit I have more than enough experience to end this fight quickly."

* * *

- The Water Dragon Slayer -

Everything has a flow, a rhythm in which it moves and acts. To know how the flow moves in the midst of combat is to control the momentum. To master the flow of combat means to be literally untouchable, as it allows the manipulator of the flow to literally move with every action, evading nearly every attack. It's a gradual, patient style of combat, meant to wait and follow whatever move the opponent makes. It's practical and simple in explanation, but in application, it's truly an extremely dangerous style. That's because it forces you to be right in the middle of the fray, relying solely on trained agility and reflexes, while at the same time hoping all of your skills and abilities are adequate enough to keep up with the constantly shifting flow of combat.

That was what Kouta's adoptive mother, a large Water Dragon by the name of Melusine, told him when she began his training as a wizard. She showed how to actively search for the flow when watching others fight; how to feel for it when in his own fight. However, he was only to truly learn and partially master four general abilities as a Dragon Slayer. The first was to 'eat' water and convert it into his own magic energy. The second was how to seek out the flow and try to emulate it. The third was the Water Dragon's Roar, simply conjuring a torrent of water and 'throwing' it towards his opponent. The fourth and final was the Water Dragon's Flowing Strike, an attack that required him to read and imitate the flow of the battle and move in for a single decisive strike. The strike itself wasn't a very powerful one, but the true damage came from the after effects of the attack, as it forced his own magic energy into the target and disturbed the water inside of them.

Kouta felt confident with finding the flow in combat, but he found that actually moving with it was something he had to work on. Then again, his mother has always told him that mastering the flow was a lifelong journey, moving a single step forward every so often and increasing the overall strength and effectiveness until his body reached it limit.

It was those very things that were going through his mind when he saw Lyall and Mirajane square off outside the guild hall. He had only seen a little of what Lyall could do a week ago, but the man was injured prior to arriving, so he knew his first impression was flawed. As Kouta watched the two begin the fight, he used the first ability he was taught and reached for the flow of the clash. It was fast, too fast for him to adequately keep up with until he grew stronger. However, that wasn't what caught him off guard; no what struck him the most was the way Lyall fought. The man moved quickly and efficiently, in and out of Mirajane's reach, effortlessly deflecting all of her attacks and returning his own. He could easily see that while Mirajane was the stronger of the two due to her magic, Lyall would be the victor of this fight, simply due to the man's experience and superior agility.

Of course, that was when Kouta realized it. While Lyall was not a wizard himself, he did utilize the flow of battle, even if it was unconsciously. Kouta himself was not a master yet, but his mother did tell that a teacher would increase his efficiency of utilizing the flow.

One thing was sure, Kouta would convince Lyall to teach him, if it was the last thing he would do.

* * *

- The Occult Slayer -

Mira and I stood outside the guild, along with an entourage of onlookers from within the guild. She was standing a few feet in front of me, a hand resting on her hip with a cocky smirk on her face. "If you beg for mercy, maybe I'll go easy on you."

I simply lifted my mask up and over my mouth. "Same could be said to you." Hefting my swords, I bent my legs and prepared for the assault. "Whenever you're ready, little girl."

Her eyebrow twitched lightly, "Oh, I'm _so_ going to enjoy this..." A magic circle appeared under her feet as she growled out, "Take Over: **Satan Soul**." Large black wings adorned her back as her hair stuck upward. Her body was now clad in a scantily clad red one piece; her legs covered up to the middle thigh with red scales. She also had long tail that looked like it was made of large black scales. Both of her hands were like what she struck at me earlier. She lifted a hand and curved a single, beckoning me to attack. "Come at me, smart ass."

I smirked under my mask. "You'll regret those words." I shot forward, moving quickly towards my opponent. Her eyes widened as I closed in on her. Jumping up, I spun and threw out a foot, aiming for a kick. She lifted her arm and blocked the attack, pushing my leg away. Going with the sudden movement, I bent to the side to avoid Mira's own attack. Spinning on my lone foot, I brought both my swords to bear at her side.

Mira jumped back and twisted, trying to catch me with her tail. The appendage wrapped around my left wrist, yanking me to the side. As I was pulled off balance, she threw a quick punch, grazing my cheek as I managed to ducked at the very last moment. Even from that slight contact, I quickly realized that my entire world was thrown for a loop. Sucking in a breath, I tried to find my center, but was quickly besieged by a barrage of strikes at my midsection. Staying on the move, I was able alleviate the worst of the damage, but I still felt a little stiff from my previous injury.

Leaping back, I managed to keep my breathing even, not giving any indication of her managing to hurt me. She simply arched an eyebrow at me, appearing slightly confused at my no sell of her barrage. Narrowing my eyes, I smiled lightly, "I'm willing to admit that you surprised me, Mira. I have to say that I've underestimated you." Releasing a slow breath, I called out, "Erza, hold one of my swords, please." I walked over to her and held one of my swords out to her, hilt first. She took it, a little confused. Stepping away from her, I undid my cloak and allowed it to fall from my shoulders. Though I was in the vest I arrived in, I was still confused at what happened to my chain shirt. I could still feel it's enchantments, but it's disappearance was a little uncomfortable.

Mira crossed her arms and spoke, though her voice was an octave or two deeper. "Don't you think you're underestimating me right now? You only have one of your swords."

I shook my head. "No, our little skirmish told me everything I need to know. You're strong, but I'm faster. I'm just going to widen that gap." I lifted my one sword and pointed it at her. "Now it's your turn. Come at _me_, little miss demon."

Mira grimaced at my prod, but grinned, "Okay, then, let's go." She crouched and shot herself forward, using her wings to propel her body even farther.

I stepped to the side of her, evading her charge, and ducked under her wings. Stepping forward, I stabbed my sword into the ground and grabbed hold of her tail. Hooking my leg around the blade, I used it as makeshift leverage to aid me in throwing her away from me. It worked, because she gasped in shock and was suddenly thrown away, skipping across the ground. Pulling my sword from the ground, I took off after her.

Mira slammed her foot into the ground, digging her claws into the ground to stop. However, before she could do anything else, I was instantly upon her. Getting right to her side, I stabbed my sword into the ground again and grabbed her by the ankle. Turning quickly, I shifted my weight to the side and managed to throw her towards a nearby wall. Unfortunately, she managed to fully open her wings and catch the wind, aiming to take flight.

Unable to hold back a laugh, I quickly pulled my sword from the ground and sheathed it. Racing forward, I leapt passed her and slammed my feet into the wall I aimed to throw her into; kicking off that wall, I threw my body towards the ascending Mira. Throwing out a hand, I caught her on the arm and turned midair, getting to her back. She cried out, shocked at the sudden action, and tried to shake me off. I wrapped an arm around her waist and held myself against her. Using my free hand, I placed it on one of her wings and pushed ever so lightly, subtly changing the path of her flight.

Mira froze in shock when I reached her, her face flushing a beet red. She began to swerve side to side, as if trying to throw me off, but my grip around her waist didn't falter. When she tried to go to the right, I noticed that my subtle push caused her veer violently to the side. She squawked in surprise and tried to correct her path, I wrapped my other arm around her waist and threw all of my weight to the side, causing to lose control once again. I saw her set her jaw and she went with me, opting to barrel roll and make me fall off.

Adjusting myself mid-flight, I managed to slip my legs up and wrap them firmly around her waist and fall back. Quickly throwing my hands out, I grabbed hold of the edge of a rooftop and tightened the hold I had with my legs. Mira jerked and gasped as the air was knocked out of her. Letting out a small laugh, I threw my legs back, causing Mira to succumb to the pull of gravity. We continued to spin until I righted us so that her body was parallel, and mine perpendicular, to the ground. Placing my hand at the scruff of her neck, I took a gentle, but firm grasp and released her waist with my legs. When we impacted the ground, I crouched and planted my knee on the center of her back, drew my sword and stabbed it in the ground above her head, so she couldn't shoot forward if I released her.

She squirmed under my hold, frantically flapping her wings, all in a bid to escape me. Releasing my hold on my sword, I lowered my mask and leaned down. "Do you yield, Mira?" I whispered into her ear.

I could make out a flush of color on her face before she quickly looked away from me. She continued to squirm, still trying to break.

"Do you yield, Mira?" I asked her again, this time my voice was much more firm, stronger.

As if in response, Mira calmed down. She mumbled something under her breath.

"What was that?" I asked her, a small smile on my face.

"Fine! I yield! I give up! Just let me go already!" Mira cried out, her face red with embarrassment.

I smiled lightly and pulled my sword from the ground. Pulling my hand from the back of her neck, I stood and took a few steps away from her. Mira pushed herself up, dispelling her transformation, and gave me a small glare. Crossing her arms, she grumbled, "What's with that look...?"

I simply shook my head. "What look?" Walking towards her, I extended my hand, "Good fight."

She simply looked at my hand, then me. Scoffing, she turned away from me and stomped away.

I released a small breath and shook my head, then turned to face everyone else. Surprisingly, I was greeted by a host of shocked expressions. Wakaba was so shocked that his cigarette fell completely out of his mouth and onto Natsu's head, who didn't even notice that a cigarette could be burning his scalp. Macao had allowed his mug to hang loose from his hang, that which caused the contents to pour on Gray's head. The two young boys were equally shocked, not really noticing what had fallen on them. Erza was clutching my sword tightly, giving me a wide-eyed look. Cana was also looking at me wide-eyed, her cards scattered across the ground at her feet.

Even Elfman, a boy a little older than Gray and Natsu and a little larger, was staring in shock at the fact that her elder sister lost. Lisanna was equally shocked, gaping open-mouthed at me as Mira was walking away quickly.

Even Makarov was struck silent by shock.

Seriously, all I did was beat a teenager in a duel. Is it that incredible? Granted, she used magic that would've called lethal attention to her from where I come from, but things like that didn't really faze me. Auren always said I was weird like that...

Well, the only person who wasn't gaping in shock was Kouta, who was beaming widely. "That as awesome, Lyall! I've never seen anyone fight that well!"

I shook my head. "It wasn't that much. I only won because I have quite a bit of experience fighting people who can fly. There's also the fact that I've been doing this quite a long time."

"Can you please teach me, Lyall?! I'd love it if you taught me how to fight like you did, without using your swords at all!" Kouta practically begged me.

I released a slow breath, scratching my head lightly. "I've only trained one other person before and it didn't exactly end well..." He clasped his hands together and gave me a pitiful look. It made him look younger than I knew he was. Shaking my head, I sighed, "Fine, but you're going to have to let me go on a few jobs first. I need to make some money."

"Thank you, Lyall!" Kouta practically jumped for joy.

Walking forward, I picked up my cloak and put it back, then approached Erza. "May I have my sword back, Erza?"

The girl jumped lightly, a light flush on her cheeks. "Ah, here." She held the sword out to me. I took it and spun it in my hand, sheathing it in a flourish. "You're capable of fighting without your swords. I'd like to see how well you can wield both of your blades." She smirked and crossed her arms.

I groaned lightly, "Am I going to have to duel you too?"

"Lyall." Makarov caught my attention before Erza could reply. "Where did you learn to fight like that? I haven't seen anyone use a sword the way you have."

I grimaced, scratching my chin lightly. "Yeah, that. There's a reason people don't use a sword of all things like that. If you do it wrong, then you may cut off something important. As for how I could do it, my armor's been enchanted to deflect slashing attacks." I shrugged, starting to walk back to the guild. "My fighting style is a little unorthodox, so I can surprise my opponents. Truthfully, it took my years to perfect it the way I have. I'm able to evade pretty much anything someone throws at me. As long as I'm able to see it, it won't touch me." I grinned confidently, partially showing off.

Well, maybe more than partially.

* * *

A job. I need to take a job before I go even more crazy. Unfortunately, I couldn't take one yesterday because of my little duel with Mira. It seems Porlyusica informed Makarov that I could only do one physical exertion a day. So I did the one thing I never thought I would willingly do: get up early in order to willingly do work.

Clad in my cloak, vest, which are the remaining pieces of my armor, I strode into the guild house to see only a few people there that early.

Makarov, upon seeing me, lifted his hand and said, "Oh, Lyall, you're early aren't you?"

I grinned widely and said, "Hell, yeah. I want to get a job so I can finally head out and see this world! Now... I just need to find a job..." I approached the job notice board and simply stared at all the fliers. I simply stood there in silence, trying to read what each says.

Makarov simply watched me, "Are you so excited you're having trouble deciding?" He laughed loudly, clearly entertained by my childlike enthusiasm.

"Um..." I was silent for a moment, but said, "Not exactly... I can't read a thing on this board..."

That seemed to cause some pause from Makarov. "I...I see... Well, it looks like you'll have to work with someone else..."

Of course, with my other-worldly luck, the one person I managed to piss off yesterday strode into the guild. Mira strode inside and looked around slowly. When she caught sight of me, a luminescent blush took place on her face as she made an about face.

"Ah, Mira! I was hoping you could me a favor." Makarov called out to the girl.

"Yes, Master?" She said, not moving from her spot.

"I was wondering if you could go on a job with Lyall."

Mira turned and gave him a confused look. "Um, why?"

"Uh..." I decided to cut in, to help resolve the issue. "I can't really read your language..."

Mira was silent for a moment, then snorted lightly. "Well, you can fight well, but it seems like you aren't the sharpest tool in the shed." She crossed her arms and began walking towards me. "I'll help you, but only if you promise to do me a favor." She smirked as she approached me.

"Mira! Lyall is a newcomer to this world and he can't understand our language. Please be a bit more accommodating." Makarov scolded the girl.

I shook my head. "No, it's alright, Makarov." I slid my hands into my pockets and said, "What is the favor, Mira?"

She placed a finger on her chin, remained silent for a few seconds, then grinned. "I'll tell you after the job. That way you'll be on edge during the job. It's best to remain aware after all."

I smirked, "I'm always aware. It's a side effect of my training." Turning slightly, I gestured to the notice board. "Pick one for us; do me a favor and pick a tough one, I'm itching for a little adventure."

Mira sauntered passed me, giving me a small look, and approached the notice board and stood still for a moment. After a moment of silence, she ripped one from the board and walked over to me. Handing it to me, she asked, "Does this suit your needs?"

I looked from it to her. All I could read was the number, which was 100,000. "Do I look like an idiot to you? I can't read your written words. The number is as clear as day to me, but I have a very small clue on how your money works. I have no clue how 100,000 rates on the market as a whole."

The girl said before me grinned widely, "Just thought you'd want to know what you may get paid."

I rolled my eyes, "Just tell me what our job is."

"We're to protect a merchant as he travels to the next city over." She explained, her eyebrow arching lightly. "Huh, that's strange..."

"What?" I approached her, looking over her shoulder at the poster.

"It says to make sure the wizard who takes this job is plenty powerful, due to the potential of combat." Mira eyed the poster lightly, then let her arm fall. She looked over her shoulder, saw me standing there, and jumped away in shock. Her face turned a dark shade of red as she growled out, "Don't do that?"

"What?" I asked with a smirk.

"Sneak up on me like that! I didn't even hear your feet hit the floor!"

I arched an eyebrow, looked down and pushed lightly on the wooden floor. It creaked ever so lightly at the increased pressure. As a matter of fact, I did make an unconscious note earlier about the creakiness of the guild hall's floor. After that, I guess I pushed it out, simply because it wouldn't have affected me much.

"Wait a minute, it's been this long and I've never heard your steps when you got here. Even when you were injured, I didn't hear you make a noise. How can you do that?" She asked me, seemingly shocked at my stealthy awesomeness.

I grinned and shrugged, "Training and experience. That's all I can really say."

She glared at me, though her still flushed expression kind of lowered the effectiveness. "Why does every little thing have to be a secret with you?"

My grin shrank to a small smirk, "Where I come from, if someone knows how you work, then it's frighteningly easy to hurt them. Until I feel more comfortable with things here, I need to keep a few tidbits of personal info to myself." I paused and beckoned her to follow, "Let's go, don't you want to start this job?"

Mira was silent for a moment, then nodded lightly. The both of us walked up to the guild entrance and began to leave. "We're heading out for a job, Master."

"Be safe now!" He called out to us.

I lifted a hand and said, "Don't worry, I'll protect little Mira while we're out!"

That warranted a laugh from Makarov and a quick jab to my side from Mira. She grumbled and looked away from me, though her face was flushed with color.

* * *

"Well, we're going to have to start now if we want to get to Acalypha Town in a respectable amount of time. My goods are in a high demand, so I expect you both to make sure that nothing happens to me or them." The merchant was a young looking gentleman dressed in a professional uniform, with his collar held down by pins. His hands were covered by white gloves, and they were currently pushed into his jacket pockets. His hair was black and slicked back while his eyes were a sharp, cold blue.

I cleared my throat, "Yeah, I have one question."

The man, Drew was his name, gave me a dark look. "Which is?"

"If you wanted to get to Acalypha as fast as possible, then why didn't you just take a train? I'm sure they're much faster than a horse drawn carriage."

Drew simply gave me heated glare. "While you are undoubtedly correct, it would not be smart for me to take public transportation due to...certain circumstances."

Mira crossed her arms, "Could you elaborate? I'd like to know about the extra notice at the bottom."

He looked to Mira and smiled lightly, "Of course, miss." I snorted at his sudden shift in attitude, warranting a glare from him and a contemplative look from Mira. Drew cleared his throat and began, "What I mean is that I may have items that would cause trouble if a Dark Guild were to get one of them. I sent the job request out so that I could get an adequate escort." He sent a light glare to me, "It seems I may have only partly succeeded in that endeavor."

I arched an eyebrow, ignoring the insult, but Mira intercepted any possible remark from me and said, "If that were the case, then why wouldn't you ask for a military escort. I'm sure the council wouldn't hesitate to send some Rune Knights to protect you."

"It'd be too obvious." I said softly, giving Drew a smug look. "If he took the train, then the Dark Guild may take the entire train hostage to capture him and his 'merchandise'. If he requested a military escort, he'd practically be begging to be attack by the Rune Knights."

Mira shook her head. "I highly doubt the Council's Rune Knights would be defeated by wizards from a Dark Guild."

Choosing to ignore Mira's comment, I crossed my arms, feeling a grin take place. "I'm sure the Council would inquire into what _exactly_ they would send an escort to defend. Since he's offering as much as he is, then he probably doesn't want anyone to know what it is he's carrying. And if it's something a Dark Guild would go out of their way to attack you for, then it has to either be unknowingly valuable...or a weapon." Giving Drew a wide grin, I watched as his eyes widened lightly.

Then he smirked and shook his head. "It seems you aren't as dumb as you look."

"Oh, I am; it's just that I've done things like this before and it's always the same. No matter where you go, there's always someone wanting to smuggle a weapon; always someone wanting to avoid capture." I strode up to him, then walked passed him. "We're going now. I'll scout ahead. Mira, stay with our guest." As I started ahead, I looked over my shoulder and said, "Try not to injure our escort Mira. I'd like to keep him in one piece so I can have a proper chat with him about his 'merchandise'."

I shot ahead, scouting for traps, ambushes and other scouts.

My smirk vanished, a feeling of dread washing over my body. Instincts honed by years of combat and adventuring told me exactly one thing: this job was going to get very dangerous, very soon.

* * *

- Later That Night -

Stopping for the night, I set up a small perimeter around our camp, prepping a few basic tripwire traps connected to bells for an early warning system.

"What are you doing over there?" Mira asked from her space in front of them campfire.

"Keeping prepared. I don't like being surprised." I said as I stood, the final tripwire finished. Turning, I walked towards the campfire and took a seat. As I did, though, I noticed that Mira was holding a box to me. Taking it, I removed the cloth that was wrapped around it and saw an assortment of foods within it. "You made this for me?" I asked with a smile.

She scowled and looked away, stabbing a fork into her own box. "No, I just happened to make a little too much is all. I figured I'd give you the leftovers."

Arching an eyebrow at her, I picked up my fork and took my first bite. I paused and closed my eyes, reveling in the divine taste of Mira's cooking. "Even better than before..." I let out a small moan and allowed my shoulders to fall as I relaxed into my seat on the ground.

"It's good that you like it, because it's the only one you're getting for a long time." She said and though she was facing away from me, I could hear the smile in her voice.

Drew strode towards the campfire from behind his caravan. "Well, I've given the horses their food and water. In addition, I've figured out how much longer we have to travel till we get to Acalypha Town. We should be passed the border by dusk on the third day. That is, if we maintain this speed."

"That's good, because we're moving at pretty fast pace. While I prefer it if we stay careful, it's preferable to get through this wilderness as soon as possible. If we end up running into any Dark Guild's here, we'll be at a distinct disadvantage since we don't know the land. If they're at all competent, then they'll have studied the foliage to such an extent that they know this place like the back of their hand." I took another bite out of the lunch Mira made me.

Drew and Mira were silent for a moment. Of course, the 'merchant' gave me a perplexed look. "Lyall, you sound like you're familiar with situations like this."

I was silent for about a minute before I replied. "You could say that."

Drew narrowed his eyes, "Why should we listen to you at all, if all you do is spout out orders? You've done nothing to prove to me that you know what you're doing. Tell me, Lyall, why should I listen to you since I am the man who is paying you?"

I could feel Mira's question gaze as she looked to me, but she turned to Drew, as if about to retaliate with words of her own. However, I stood and held a hand out to her, silencing her. Turning, I walked towards the man and stood directly in front of him. "You want to know why you should listen to me? You really feel like questioning me? You don't have to listen, but it would be the smart thing to do. I've done this countless times, enough so that it's become second nature." I paused, looking down at his fancy clothes. Reaching up, I grabbed hold of one his collars. "You freely admit that you're being pursued by a Dark Guild, yet you choose to stand out wearing fancy clothing such as this. We could very well be in enemy territory, and you're questioning me when I do things to ensure our safe passage? You thought me an idiot, but let me tell you one thing: you have no idea what you're doing. I do. I know exactly what kind of situation we're in right now. We very well could be neck deep in enemy territory, within range of a Dark Guild. Whether we are or not, I am still taking the necessary precautions to ensure we get through this relatively unharmed. That's why you should listen to me; that's why you should just put your head and do what I tell you to: which is keep close to your caravan and keep your head down. I'm not asking you to run through the brush and dodge tree branches in order to see what's ahead, that' my job. I'm not asking you to protect yourself, because that's both mine and Mira's job. So, please do yourself, and me, a favor and sit down, shut up and wait until we get to town. Then you can be as big an asshole as you want." Turning away from him, I strode towards the edge of the perimeter and looked over my shoulder, "I'll take another look around."

The last thing I saw before heading back into the woods was Mira's flushed face as she watched me leave the campsite.

* * *

The next day was relatively slow with monotony and silence. Ever since my little chat with Drew, he's been in a slight funk and remained rather aloof and didn't say a word to either of us. After a little bit of scouting ahead, I went back to walking a little ahead of the caravan. When I did, Mira managed to up her pace until she was at my side.

"Are you okay? You seem to be taking this more serious than earlier." I could hear the concern in her voice.

I reached up and pulled my mask down. Clearing my throat, I replied, "I'm fine; just wishing I didn't always have to work with self-entitled jerks."

Mira chuckled lightly, "It doesn't happen often, so don't worry." She was silent for a moment, "How do you think this job is going so far?"

"Too easy." I said immediately.

Mira furrowed her brow at me. "What do you mean? Shouldn't you be glad that we won't have too much trouble?"

I shook my head, "Regardless of whether or not I'm glad, things never go this easy. Every time something like this occurs, something always goes bad. Always."

"You're just being paranoid." Mira groused.

I released a breath, "It's not paranoia if you're right."

She shook her head and walked back to the caravan. I watched her go with an impassive glance and faced forward again, something was going to happen, whether I was prepared or not. I was going to stay ready; there will be no ambushes as long as I'm with this group.

After a few moments, I couldn't help but notice Drew approach me from behind.

"Mister Lyall, I'm curious, what sorts of ambushes are you, uh, experienced with?"

I gave him a perplexed look, but replied nonetheless. "Surprise ambushes fro the front; ones that strike from the sides, ambushes that strike from behind, the universally least defended portion." I paused, then smirked lightly. "However, the one that always seems to get me is the ambush that happens when we're least expecting it: at night when people are supposed to be asleep." I shook my head, "Seriously, no matter how much I prepare, something always happens that seems to catch me off guard." Though I spoke with as much sarcasm as one could put into their words, I could see Drew very clearly slam a fist into his palm.

"Oh, I see." He nodded lightly and said, "Thank you for the insight, Mister Lyall. I hope nothing happens on our way." When he turned and walked away, I couldn't help but stop and give his retreating form an incredulous stare as he walked away.

Mira caught my look and turned to face him, then me, arching a confused eyebrow at me.

Though I had a very clear idea as what Drew was thinking, I simply shrugged at her.

One thing was clear, I had to wait until tonight for something big to happen...

* * *

A few moments after the sun went down, it was agreed that we should set up camp for the night.

"Mira, can you stay here and make sure nothing happens? I'm going to check the perimeter before settling down.""

She nodded and said, "Yeah, just be careful."

I smirked, "This is me we're talking about." Mira scoffed and shook her head at me. Turning, I began walking to the trees. However, Drew jumped up and ran over to me. "Yeah?"

"I need to go..."

I released a tired breath. "Give me a moment to check everything out. I'll be quick." He groaned but nodded. As I strode towards the tree line, I couldn't help but notice a triumphant smirk on his face. Turning, I stepped into the foliage and couldn't help but feel as though was being watched. These feelings are hardly ever wrong.

Racing through the trees, I looked quickly around and checked the general area. Coming to a stop, I stepped slowly through the trees and pushed aside a tree branch. Walking further into the trees, I cleared my throat, "I know you're all there. You're buddy Drew isn't exactly the most subtle when it comes to this."

Of course, as I stepped into another small clearing, I noticed several other people stepping out into the clearing. They all seemed to be dressed in something akin to a uniform. The men were dressed in something similar to dress pants and jackets over button up shirts. Their jackets were hanging open and they were each carrying weapons.

"How'd you figure it out?" One of them asked me, his voice shaky.

I smirked, casually reaching up to one of my swords, "I've been doing this a pretty long time." Drawing one of them, I spun it lightly in my hand and pointed it towards them. "Now, do yourselves a favor and walk away. If you don't, then I won't hold back."

Thankfully, one of the wizards started to walk backwards. "I don't think we should do this after all, guys. I mean, this guy actually looks like he means business." He lifted an empty hand and pointed at me. "I mean, look at his mask! It clearly shows he's a badass that we shouldn't mess with!"

I actually paused at that, cocking my head to the side. For the very first time in a fight, I actually had to hold back laughter.

Unfortunately, one of the more brave, and stupid, wizards decided to man up and ignore the danger. "Oh, calm down and shut up. There's only one of him and seven of us. We can take him!"

Of course, that was the point I decided to actually let out a laugh. "Really now? You think a bunch of amateurs like you seven can beat a pro like me?" I drew my other sword and spun then both in my grip. "Come on then, show me if you can roll with the big boys."

They were hesitant for a few seconds, but little by little they rushed forward and struck one after another.

I felt myself smirk as they swung with their weapons, haphazardly trying to hit me. I casually lifted my sword and batted away the first attack, stepped to the side and avoided the second attack.

Ducking, I avoided the third attack and leaned away to dodge the fourth.

Bringing both my swords up, I swung them inside and caught the fifth and sixth attacks.

Smirking, I said, "My turn."

Jumping up, I threw out both of my feet and kicked away two of the Dark Guild wizards, causing them stagger back and fall onto the ground. Flipping backwards off the kicks, I landed back on my feet and blocked another attack, countering with a hit of the flat of my blade on the third wizard's side, sending him crashing to the ground. Spinning, I threw out a kick, which slammed into the chest of the fourth wizard.

The fifth and sixth wizard both jumped away from me and each other, stationing themselves on either side of me.

I rolled my shoulder, smirking under my mask. "I have to say, I'm a little surprised by the tenacity you guys have. Normally, when a single person decimates your entire group, the smart thing to do would be to retreat."

"Yeah, but this time we have a trump card." One of them said, though his voice was a little shaky.

"Oh?" I looked from them to their fallen comrades, who were dragging themselves away. Counting them, I only reached six. Wait a minute... "Weren't there seven of you?"

"Yep." A voice from behind me stated, smugness evident. I turned around quickly, only to see an open hand. "Illusion Magic: Mind Shatter!"

I instantly felt my body give out, my legs turning to jelly as I collapsed to the ground. I tried to focus on getting to my feet, but my thoughts wouldn't come together. Hell, I couldn't even bring myself to remember my own damn name. Groaning, I felt my hands open and drop my swords. Everything swam in my vision as I felt my consciousness slowly leave me.

"C'mon, let's hurry up and get to Drew. He and the others should be dealing with the girl." The one who cast the spell said, walking towards me and kick me right in the side, eliciting a pained groggy groan from me.

"Okay, Boss." One of the wizards on the ground groaned as he stood. "I don't know why or how, but this guy's attack hurt like hell."

"You can say that again. It felt like I was hit by a five pound sack of potatoes." He staggered lightly as he walked towards the leader.

"Whatever magic this guy knows, it must be pretty powerful, considering he didn't use it."

The Boss snorted, "Suck it up, wimps. Just take his swords and hurry up. We need to take care of the girl."

* * *

I pushed myself to my feet, gritting my teeth in anger. I was pissed, both at myself for letting this happen and at those wizards for playing dirty. I hate mental magic, magic that takes advantage of the mental state of people. It always strikes when someone least expects it and there's almost no way to combat it, other than pure chance.

Thankfully, I had training specifically meant to not only combat mental affects, but also induce an immunity. Unfortunately, the wizard activated the spell faster than I could revert to my training. Emptying my thoughts, I was able to regain my mental faculties and curse that cursed magic. Releasing a shuddering breath, I began to make my way back to the campsite. I didn't have my swords, but then again, they should be thankful they took them. If I had them, then my anger would've caused me to sever a limb or two.

Making my way back towards Mira, I maintained a silent pursuit, moving quietly and assuredly forward. I was going to utterly annihilate those wizards. There was no doubt about it; they were green and ignorant of the world. They had no idea that someone with my skills was walking around; that someone could have skills centered on combating and defeating spell casters. The weight behind my blows against them was evident enough to prove that I was indeed an Arcane Hunter and an Occult Slayer, someone meant to stand toe to toe with those whom were meant to shape reality to their whim.

Standing at the edge of the tree line, I saw what was happening. Mira was surrounded on all sides by the Dark Guild wizards, twelve of them, but she wasn't fighting back. As a matter of fact, she looked as though she was short of breath, unable to fully recuperate.

"What's wrong!? Why can't I use my magic?" Mira growled out.

The leader chuckled, "It's because of the 'merchandise' you've been moving. It's a specially made lacryma that siphons off magic from outside sources. We weren't sure it would work, which is why we planted that job so that we could test it on a wizard." He grinned darkly, "We, Dark Pegasus, wanted to test out product before selling it to our Masters' colleague's in the Balam Alliance."

Mira looked to each person surrounding her, as if trying to see who she should attack first.

"Ah-ah-ah. It wouldn't be a good idea to do anything too hasty. You see, you're all alone now. Your friend in the mask was taken care of first." Drew laughed snidely. "I didn't like that prick anyway!"

Mira sent a glare his way. "What the hell did you to Lyall!?"

The leader shrugged, "I just scrambled his brains with a spell. He should be lying on the ground as a drooling mess. He won't be helping you any time soon." He began to laugh darkly.

Mira froze, her eyes widening in shock. Dropping to her knees, she gazed at nothing in particular, her eyes swimming lightly.

"Don't worry, though, girly. We got the perfect place for you. We know someone who has a tower that needs to be built!" Drew laughed loudly.

I had had enough. Striding purposefully out of the tree line, I growled out, "I swear, all of you _kids_ are really starting to get on my last nerve." Everyone froze in shock at the sound of my voice. They all turned and faced me as I walked towards the large group of wizards. "If you want to keep someone down, make sure you do it properly."

"You can't be up and walking!" The leader cried out and I managed to see the hilt of my swords sticking out over his shoulder. "That spell should have fried your mind!"

I lifted my hand and glared darkly, "All of you are going to limp away from this. Then I want all of you to tell your Dark Guild friend's one thing: the Occult Slayer is here and he's planning on a hunt." Clasping my hands together, I cracked my knuckles and said, "Let's dance, amateurs."

I rushed forward and leapt up, slamming my knee into the first wizard's forehead. He staggered away and I landed back on the ground. Reaching forward, I grabbed hold of his jacket and pulled him back to me. Rearing back my fist, I crashed it into his stomach and brought him to a knee. Lifting my foot, I slammed it into his leg with an audible crack.

Kicking him away, I turned to the next one in line. Catching him in the face with a hook, I stepped into his guard and took hold of his collar. The wizard ducked his head and I wrapped my arm around his neck, then slammed my knee into his waist. He flipped up and I threw him over my shoulder, spinning to slam a kick into his chest with a loud crack.

It was after I incapacitated those two that the remaining ten finally managed to focus their efforts in attacking me as a whole force.

The first one reached me and tried to bludgeon me with what resembled a mace. I ducked to the side and grabbed his wrist. Pulling back my fist, I slammed three punches into his solar plexus and forced him to smack himself with his own weapon. He dropped the weapon as I evaded an attack from another. Hooking my leg around his, I slammed my foot into the back of his knee. When the second wizard swung with his weapon, I grabbed his wrist and forced him to brain his own ally, following up with a kick to his shin.

The boy cried out in pain, but I gave him a harsh uppercut, forcing him to shut his mouth suddenly. He staggered back and I stepped forward, bringing my foot forward with a savage kick to the side of his knee, bending it at an unnatural angle. Before he could scream out in pain, I chopped him in the throat and struck him in the chin with a powerful hook.

With two more added to the body count, the remaining eight froze in fear, staring at me with wide eyes.

The leader was the first to recover. "Quick! Use the lacryma on him!"

The guy closest to me fumbled in his pocket, but he couldn't get to the rock in time because I raced forward. Stepping up and onto his bent leg at the knee, I jumped up and spun, delivering a vicious kick to the person's face. His head jerked to the side as he staggered to the side an fell onto the ground. Planting my feet onto the ground, I lifted one of my legs and brought it down with a stomp onto his stomach.

Turning, I noticed the sixth mage lift a stone and point it at me. When nothing happened, I simply walked forward and jumped straight up. Kicking my feet straight out in front of me, I slammed both of my feet into his face and back flipped away from him. Upon landing on the ground, I crouched and shot forward, slamming my shoulder into mage. Throwing him onto the ground, I reared back my fist and gave him one good slug, knocking him out cold.

Standing, I noticed the leader was standing behind Mira, holding one of my swords at her throat. "How about you calm down, Mr. 'Occult Slayer'? You may be pretty strong on your own, but how do you feel about me taking a hostage? With your own sword at that! Hah!" He gave me a dark glare.

"How do I feel about that?" I cocked my head to the side and allowed my arms to be concealed under my cloak. Out of my periphery, I took notice as the remaining five wizards were circling me. Looking forward, I smirked, "You can take him, right Mira?"

She gave me a shocked look, but looked down at my waist level. A small smile appeared on her face as she said, "I think I can, with or without my magic power."

"Good. I'll leave him to you them." I threw my cloak out quickly and threw the lacryma I swiped from one of the mages. It flew true and struck the leader right in the center of the forehead. The sudden impact caused him to stagger away from Mira, freeing her up to disarm him.

Turning, I quickly smacked away an attack from one of the wizards and retaliated with a swift jab to the stomach. A second jumped in and tried to catch me off guard, but I cut him off with a back hand to the face. Spinning, I ducked a swing of another weapon from the third and lashed out with a leg sweep, taking him off his feet. Leaning to the side, I evaded another swing and lifted my fist, crashing it into the third man's gut. The fifth man cried out, trying to cast a spell, but I slid out of melee and stepped into his guard. He froze when he realized that his spell wouldn't activate and I didn't let up as I drilled my knee into his side. Grabbing him with a handful of hair, I pulled him down and pounded his back with an elbow. Kicking him away, I ducked another weapon attack and slid back into melee, releasing a barrage of rabid punches into the second man's chest. When he staggered back, I leaned back and lifted my foot, throwing it forward with a growl. The kick caught the man in the chest and sent him sprawling back, crashing into a tree. The remained two mages tried to get back, creating a little distance, but I closed in on one of them and stomped my foot onto his. Grabbing hold of his collar, I reared back my fist and drilled it into his face. Looking to the side, I saw the final wizard prepping a spell. Narrowing my eyes, I lifted my foot from my current target and threw him towards the last, sending the both of them staggering. I raced forward and stepped onto the man I threw, running up his back and catching the last man with a fight-ending kick to the face.

With the final opponent collapsing to the ground, I turned towards Mira and the leader. Unfortunately, Mira had done nothing to attack him, instead she opted to watch me decimate the remainder of the Dark Pegasus's forces. "So, are you done? Or do you want me to finish the job?" I said with a dark smirk.

Mira's face flushed heavily, but she lifted her foot and kicked the man to the ground. My swords clattered free of their capture and rested on the ground. "No I've got this..." She muttered with a small pout. As I walked over to pick up my swords, she hooked a foot under the leader and flipped him over. Planting her foot on his chest, she pushed down and glared at the man.

I took notice of that and arched an eyebrow. "Are we projecting a latent desire?"

Mira scowled and growled out, "Shut up." Her face flushed with color.

Releasing a breath, I strode over to her and looked down at the leader of the small group. "I don't particularly care for it when my comrades and I are attacked. What I really hate is the fact that you threatened to throw an innocent girl into slavery." I felt a dark grin appear on my face as I stabbed the ground next to him and reached down to grab his arm. "I like to think that I'm a kind hearted person; someone who enjoys an optimistic outlook on life and tries to see the best in others. I've been called a moron for it, an idiot even." I pressed the edge of my sword against his arm. "Unfortunately, due to that excessive kindness, I may have developed a mean streak a mile wide. My patience is borderline limitless and it takes nothing less than a divine-fucking-intervention to wear it out. However, there are a few things that bypass it all together."

The leader of the group hissed painfully as I carefully slid the edge of my blade along the outer side of his arm. "What do you want?"

"Nothing." I said softly. "Except for you to deliver a message. The Occult Slayer is here to stay. No Dark Guild is safe." I removed the blade from his arm and dropped the limb.

He remained silent for a moment, looking from me to Mira. "Are you gonna let me go?"

I looked to Mira and she gave me a questioning look. "It's up to you." I said with a shrug, wiping my blade off with a piece of cloth I pulled from my pocket.

Mira gave me an unreadable look, nodded and lifted her foot from the leader. "Go and take your friends with you. We're keeping your 'merchandise' with us."

He nodded quickly and scrambled to his feet. After a few moments, he managed to get almost all of his allies to their feet. However, the rest had to carry quite a few of them away, since I didn't really hold back, nor did I feel any remorse as I noticed quite a few pained limps.

When we were left alone, I turned to go and investigate the caravan, to see what exactly we were carrying.

"You saved me..." Mira's voice caused me to pause.

"It was just something I chose to do. You don't need to say anything."

"But...you still saved me..." Mira whispered lightly.

I resumed walking towards the caravan. "It's nothing, Mira."

Hearing her feet crush the grass below us, she grabbed my wrist. "It's not nothing. They could've done whatever they wanted to me, but you...you saved me..."

"It's what anyone in the guild would've done."

"But you're new. You shouldn't have had a reason to save me..."

I slowly turned to face Mira. "That's not who I am. If I can't use my strength to protect, then what's the point? I fought to gain the experience and strength required to do what I felt is right." I looked down, and released a small breath. "I don't need a reason to save someone if they're a friend."

Mira froze her eyes swimming. The hand around my wrist clenched suddenly. Bowing her head, she took a step forward and pressed herself against my back. She shuddered and released a ragged breath. Taking a pair of handfuls of my cloak, she shook as I heard her whimper lightly. "P-please...stay w-with me right n-now..."

"Of course..." I replied, my voice soft.

* * *

Mira and I walked through Magnolia, heading back to the guild. As we walked, there was a companionable silence between the two of us. Mira looked to me a few times, as if she were thinking of something to say, but she bit her lip and remained quiet. We walked relatively slowly, and people greeted Mira; there were actually a few older women who jokingly asked if I was her boyfriend. Strangely, though, she didn't lash out, only blushing lightly and shaking her head.

When we passed by a bridge, she cleared her throat and said, "Lyall, wait up a moment."

I stopped and turned to face her. "Yeah?" Mira was standing in front of me, swaying lightly with her face flushed lightly.

"I just...wanted to thank you, Lyall." When I went to rebuff her, she lifted her hand and glared at me. "I know what you're going to say, but I still want to thank you." She let her hand fall, turning to the side and rubbing her arm sheepishly. "And...if you don't mind, then I can teach..." She mumbled the last part.

"What was that?" I asked her softly.

She gritted her teeth and shook her head. "If you don't mind...I can teach you how to read our language..."

I smiled lightly, "I don't mind, I'd love for you to teach me, Mira." She froze lightly, her face flushing heavily as she gave me a wide-eyed look. "Though, I have to warn you, I'm not a very good student." I grinned lightly at her.

Mira remained silent, her eyes scanning me. Then a dark grin grew on her face. "Don't you worry, you'll be reading full length novels in our language in just under two weeks. I guarantee it." She strode passed me, moving quickly towards the guild. "C'mon, we need to check in with Master."

I turned and watched her go. "What about that favor?"

She paused, then looked over her shoulder. "Forget about it, we're even now." She smiled brightly.

I froze as I saw her beaming grin. My heart raced as I watched the girl in front of me. It was the first time in years that I had a feeling even slightly reminiscent of this. It's been years since I've actually felt...connected with someone else. After what felt like ages, I felt my own genuinely happy smile appear. "We'll see, Mira. We'll see..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim ownership of Fairy Tail, just the OC's I use. Also, I do own the semi-crazy D&D PC, Lyall.

**The Hunter's 'Tail'**

Prologue

Part Three

- Two Years Later -

- The Water Dragon Slayer -

Kouta grumbled as he rolled over, pulling his blanket over his head. Curling into a tight ball, he breathed out heavily and tried to go back to a deep sleep.

"Kouta, wake up. We need to meet Lyall for that job." A small cat with brown fur jumped from his bed on the dresser and walked over to the sleeping wizard. Grabbing hold of the blanket, he pulled them off the young man, letting them fall onto the ground. His dark blue eyes looked tiredly down at his sleeping partner and he sighed. Taking hold of the back of his shirt, he willed his wings to appear and flapped them a few times. After getting off the bed by a little, he flew away from the bed and unceremoniously dropped Kouta onto the ground.

Kouta's eyes shot open as he managed to adjust his body mid-descent and land on his hands and knees. Looking to the side, he gave the flying cat and a tired glare. "C'mon Shye! I was trying to sleep!" He whined as he leaned back, rubbing his face to wake up.

Shye flew to a table and dropped down. Lying on the table, he gave a lazy shrug. "I know, but you told me to wake you up when it was nearly time to meet Lyall for your job."

Kouta was silent for a moment; his eyes slowly widened as he realized what Shye had woken him for. "Oh!" Jumping to his feet, he raced to get ready.

A few moments later, Kouta stepped out of his apartment and locked it after him. He had managed to find a pretty decent place near the river in town; the rent was rather cheap too, what with it being 70,000 jewel a month. Racing out of the building, he sprinted through the town and towards the guild. He was dressed in a pair of dark blue khaki pants with a white belt and a pair of black shoes. His shirt was a black button up and dark blue jacket. In addition, his dark blonde, nearly black, hair fell loosely around his head, though his bangs stuck out front lightly. Shye was casually holding onto his shoulder as the Dragon Slayer raced towards the guild house.

"Hey, Kouta! In a hurry!" One of the old men at one of the cafes called out.

He lifted a hand and said, "Yeah, I overslept!"

The old man laughed out loud.

"Don't forget, you're meeting my granddaughter in a week!" An old woman called out to him as she walked out of the market.

"I never agreed to that!" He called out jokingly, smiling as he did so.

"Shye, I have some freshly caught fish for you and Happy!" The fisherman called out.

Shye gave Kouta a questioning look, but the young man simply waved him off with a smile. The cat jumped off his shoulder and flew towards the fisherman.

Kouta raced quickly across the bridge and dropped to a crouch as he slid under a piano that a pair of movers were lifting. Getting his bearings back, he turned a corner and saw the guild house in sight.

Upon reaching the doors, he leaned against the open door and gasped lightly, trying to regain his breath. Looking around, he tried to locate Lyall.

"You an hour early, I hope you realize that."

Kouta jumped at the sound of Lyall's voice. Turning, he faced the older man and released a tired breath. "Wait, what? I'm an hour early?!"

He smirked lightly and said, "Yeah. I told Shye to wake you at the right time, though I guess he decided to mess with you." Shaking his head, he beckoned for Kouta to follow. "C'mon, you might as well get something to eat while you're here." Kouta followed the hunter into the guild, sitting across from him at a table. The young man watched as Lyall pulled out a box wrapped in a blue cloth and place it on the table in front of Kouta. "Here's breakfast."

Kouta unwrapped the box and asked, "You made this?"

"Yep. I made that one. It was initially supposed to be mine, but Mira made this for me." He held up another box, this one wrapped in an animal print cloth.

Kouta simply blinked at the box. "You said _Mira_ made that for you?" Lyall nodded. "The very same Mira that I know?" He nodded again, giving Kouta a slight look. "Why is it that I doubt she would actually give you something that was remotely anything _cute_?"

"And why is that, you little guppy?" Kouta froze at that familiar voice. Slowly turned, he came upon the sight of Mirajane Strauss smiling evilly down at him. Her blue eyes promised violence as they peered down to Kouta. "Why do you find it so hard to believe that I would give someone something cute?"

Lyall released a tired breath, "Mira, please don't injure Kouta before his job. You can save it for after." Kouta spun and gave Lyall a pleading look. The hunter shrugged as if there were nothing he could do.

If he were in a better position, Kouta would tell Lyall the opposite, without reservation. It was obvious that Mirajane, the She-Devil, had a thing for Lyall, who had gained the nickname Hunter due to a rumor that spread detailing his fabled past of hunting evil mages and rather successfully at that. Everyone in the guild was able to tell that that was the case ever since the two returned from finishing Lyall's first job. If it wasn't obvious from the continually flushed features Mira always had whenever he was near, then it was the fact that she would nearly always acquiesce when it came to him. She still pushed everyone around, subtly flaunting her title of S-class wizard to everyone, but when Lyall said something, she would pull back. It got to the point that whenever someone wanted to verbally retaliate, they had to be near Lyall and hoped he stood up for them.

That was clearly evident here as when Mira heard Lyall's request, she frowned lightly, though Kouta was pretty positive it was a pout. Crossing her arms, she released a breath. "Fine." She threw a glare towards Kouta. "After the job, you and I are going to talk, little Dragon Slayer."

Kouta gulped and turned back around, moving back to his breakfast.

Lyall shook his head and sighed tiredly, "Mira, sometimes you're too much." He placed his box on the table and went about unwrapping it. When he finished, he found himself looking at a veritable masterpiece. Picking up a fork, he picked up a piece and took a bite. The hunter paused and smiled lightly, closing his eyes in ecstasy. Sliding the fork out of his mouth, he moaned lightly. Savoring the first bite, he finished it and said, "Mira, I didn't know it was actually possible... You're cooking tastes way better than before..."

To everyone's 'surprise', Mira's face brightened as she beamed. "Really?" She walked quickly around the table, appearing as though she was trying not to skip as she did so, and took the seat next to him. "What about it do you like the most?"

Lyall took another savoring bite and replied slowly.

The two of them went back and forth like that, with Mira gushing happily as Lyall complimented her. Kouta simply arched an eyebrow as he watched the two; looking around, he noticed that there were others also watching the two trade banter.

As aware Lyall normally was, there were some things he didn't really pick up on. Like how Mira really felt, as an example.

A few moments later, Shye flew into the guild with Natsu and Happy following suit. Shye and Happy were flying next to one another, each chewing on some fish. Getting to his feet, Kouta picked up his box and walked over to his fellow Dragon Slayer.

"Hey, Natsu, Happy."

Happy waved hello, but still ate his fish.

"Kouta, you're fighting me today. We're finally seeing which Dragon Slayer power is stronger!" He grinned as he pointed towards Kouta.

Kouta simply ate another bite of breakfast, giving Natsu a slightly tired look. That has been a regular challenge ever since Natsu learned that his fellow Dragon Slayer used not only an element opposite to his own, but also began training under the very man who could best Mira in single combat.

"I have a job today, Natsu. I'm not sure I can spare the time. How about tomorrow?" Kouta spoke dryly, as if reciting a well-rehearsed line.

Natsu crossed his arms and glared, "You said that yesterday, Kouta. You've been doing nothing but training and going on jobs. When are you actually gonna fight me?"

Kouta sighed tiredly, but before he could reply, another person cut in.

"Kouta is simply trying to be the responsible one, Natsu. I think it would be good if you followed his example." Erza strode up to them, the remnants of a strawberry cake resting on a plate she was holding.

The Water Dragon Slayer released a short breath. "I'm not too sure about that. If he actually started acting like me, then I wouldn't stand out as much as I do, right?" He grinned when Erza threw him a slight glare. "Besides, I'm gonna give Natsu the fight he wants, I'm just busy today."

There was something off about both Kouta and Lyall in that they weren't cowed by neither Mira nor Erza, the two people that everyone in the guild didn't exactly fear but respected enough to give them the power to do what they pleased. It's understandable for Lyall, as he defeated the both of them in duels; a few days after his first job, he fought Erza head to head and beat her through sheer skill alone, though the match was still a close one. Kouta, on the other hand, was simply a confident individual.

Erza frowned at him, though the look was offset by her taking a bite of a forkful of her cake.

Natsu grinned widely, "Alright, you better be prepared Kouta! I'm not gonna hold back!"

Kouta simply smirked and extended his fist, "I'll have to do the same then. May the better man win." Natsu rapped his knuckles against his fellow Dragon Slayer and the three individuals at the entrance of the guild strode towards the tables.

Kouta sat at the table Natsu chose and resumed his breakfast, Shye landing next to him.

After a few moments, Lyall stood and strode towards the guild entrance. "Let's go, Kouta, we better leave now if we want to be on time."

Kouta nodded and quickly finished breakfast, following after him; Shye took his place on the Dragon Slayer's shoulder, closing his eyes to take a short nap.

* * *

"Haven't you ever wondered why you get motion sickness of vehicles? I mean, if I were in your shoes, I'd be doing whatever I can to prevent it." Lyall said with a joking smile.

Kouta groggily glared at his mentor, lying down in nauseated pain on the seat of the carriage. "If I knew, then I'd figure out ho-" He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, gagging audibly.

Shye, meanwhile, was sitting next to Lyall, giving his partner more room to lie down. "He's alright whenever I fly with him, but whenever we take transportation like this, he gets like this." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Although...boats don't seem to bother him as much..."

Lyall simply grinned and shook his head. "I'm glad we're taking this carriage and not a train."

"I wish I could say the same." The man leading the carriage quipped over his shoulder, causing Lyall to let out a small chuckle. "I know I said I'd get you to Oak Town as soon as possible, but you didn't say anything about your friend ruining my carriage."

Lyall shook his head, but before he could reply, Kouta pushed himself up and managed to ground out, "I'm fine, just...a little shaken up..."

"You heard the man." Lyall said with a smirk. "He's fine."

"Alright."

* * *

- The Occult Slayer -

We reached Oak Town in record time. Stepping out of the carriage, I lent a shoulder to Kouta as the shaken teen pulled himself out. As soon as his feet hit solid ground, he staggered away from me and dropped to his knees. Lifting his hands into the air, he cried out, "Yes! Finally! Solid ground!"

I snorted and shook my head, adjusting my cloak hood. It had begun to rain heavily as we approached the town, which I found strange, considering it just suddenly began to pour completely out of the blue. Thankfully, I had managed to get my cloak enchanted with an aura that repels rain. It's the little things.

Shye reached into Kouta's bag and pulled out a small blue umbrella, one meant for his size, and unfurled it.

Releasing a small unbelieving breath, I strode forward and said, "C'mon, kid. We need to talk with the client. She should be at the local tavern."

Kouta stood and managed to remain standing, regardless of his earlier uneasiness. Though the rain seemed to be pelting him, he looked completely unaffected. I guess it's one of the perks of being a Water Dragon Slayer, water being your best friend and all. "Lead the way. You're leading this one."

I smirked and shook my head, "Just try and keep up." Striding forward, I looked over my shoulder and spoke to the carriage driver. "Get your horses some rest, we won't be leaving for a little while!"

He waved his acknowledgement and we went on our merry way.

...which is what I would have loved to say, but it seems we weren't exactly received positively. The citizens of Oak Town all gave us wary looks, their eyes hesitant as they watched us walk through the rainy streets. Of course, Kouta was the one given the most strange looks as he was the one who simply walked nonchalantly through the pouring rain. The two of us walked relatively quickly as I looked for a nearby tavern, since walking around in the rain wasn't exactly something I wanted to do for long.

Rapping the younger boy on the arm, I pointed to the closest tavern. He nodded and followed me as I lead the way into shelter from the rain. Striding inside, I pushed my hood off and shook my head lightly, getting as much of the water off as possible. Kouta simply pushed his hand through his hair, adjusting it lightly with a flick of his wrist.

Throwing him a playful glare, I motioned to the bar, "I'm going to ask around. You just stay out of trouble, alright?"

Kouta pouted, "C'mon, Lyall, I can take care of myself!"

I released a tired breath, "We're not exactly in friendly territory, here. This is Phantom Lord's hometown. The client doesn't trust them, so they offered it to us. If any wizards from that guild hear about either of us, then things won't exactly go well. Discretion is the name of the game, right now. Of the two of us, I'm the more discreet."

Kouta was silent for a moment before he nodded. He too was one of the more subtle Fairy Tail wizards, but even he had his moments. However, I've had years more experience than nearly everyone else in the guild when it came to subtle information gathering.

He and I strode in two different directions, me to the bar, and him towards the seats near the back. I got to the bar and took a seat.

"What can I get ya?" The barkeep inquired me.

"I'd say a water, but there's enough of that outside." He snorted a small laugh to that. "So, I'll take something light, I'm still working right now."

"Coming right up." The barkeep stepped away from him and put something together. Sliding the glass to him, the barkeep asked, "You're not from around here. Might I ask what the job that brought you here is?"

I shrugged, swirling my drink a bit. "Animal problem. It's been an issue I've heard a few times, so I decided to offer my services."

"Huh, that's strange. I haven't heard any talk of animal attacks..." The barkeep muttered, but he shrugged. "Oh, well, it's still good to have people willing to help."

"So you haven't heard a thing?" When he shook his head, I released a tired breath and took a small swig. "Well, looks like I've got more searching to do..." Reaching into my pocket, I placed some coins on the counter and stood. Walking around the bar, I couldn't help but notice one of the patrons waving me over with a well-hidden beckon. Slowly making my way to the table, I stood to the side. "Mind if I take a seat?"

She gave me a sultry smile, "Anything for you..."

I smirked and sat down, leaning forward in my seat. "Are you the one who sent the job?"

"Show me your mark first!" She whispered urgently.

I subtly looked around and placed my mug down. Reaching to my gloved hand, I removed it and showed her the back of my hand. The black guild mark of Fairy Tail was visible only to her as I quickly pulled the glove back on.

She nodded and released a tired breath. "Good, I was hoping you would come soon..." Leaning forward, she said, "There are several large beasts that continually attack the outskirts of the town."

"What kind of beasts? How large? And how many? I'd like to know what my friend and I dealing with so we can get the job done properly." I said quickly and softly, trying to get as much info as possible.

Before she could answer, though, I heard a 'drip' sound. Arching an eyebrow in confusion, I looked down at my drink, seeing ripples go outward from the center. Immediately after that, I felt another collection of drops fall directly onto my head. Looking up, I saw that ceiling was perfectly dry. I looked back towards the woman and noticed her face turn pale. Turning, I realized that someone else had walked into the tavern. A young woman clad in a blue, fur-lined coat, holding a pink umbrella over her head. She had a sullen expression on her face as she strode inside. Empty eyes looked around slowly as she approached the bar. As she walked, the air in the tavern began to become more and more moist. Slowly but surely, it began to rain..._inside_ the freaking tavern!

What the hell!?

I quickly pulled my hood up and turned to the client. She was simply sitting in her seat, her knuckles white as she gripped the sides of the table. "She's one of them!" She whispered softly. "She's a Phantom Lord wizard!"

Leaning forward, I whispered, "Look, it'll work out. I'll just have my friend run interference while I take care of the animal problem, okay?" I had to take care of this and quickly. There has to be a reason she doesn't want Phantom Lord involved with this job.

She nodded quickly, calming herself down.

I looked around and managed to catch Kouta's eye. Of course, he looked perfectly at home in the rain. Beckoning him over, I watched as he waved good-naturedly to one of the other woman in the tavern, smiling unassumingly as he strode away from her. I swear, that kids going to be heartbreaker when he gets older...

"Have you figured out the job?" He said as he took a seat at the table.

"Yeah, but I'll have to go it alone."

"What?! What do you mean?" He asked me, surprised by what I said.

"What I mean is this: I need you to run interference with the wizard who just walked in here. Keep her busy while I take care of everything." I said quickly and nonchalantly.

Kouta simply narrowed his eyes. "Run interference? You want me to run interference?" He sighed heavily, clearly accepting the duty I was allocating to him. "Fine, how do you want me to do it?"

"Flirt with her." I said with a wide grin.

Kouta gave me a wide eyed look as Shye chuckled lightly from his perch on the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me." I relied, keeping my grin in place. "I see what you do every time we go on a job. You're always chatting up the ladies. I figured you could put that charisma to work in the middle of a job." I subtly pointed to the wizard at the bar. "Now work your magic."

Kouta sighed again, "I honestly have no clue what you're talking about, but if that's what you believe, then I'll try it." He turned from me and was about to approach the woman, but I grabbed his wrist.

Giving him a small frown, I muttered, "Don't 'try' anything. Just act natural. Remember it's all about following the flow, in _and_ out of combat." Seeing the recognition in his eyes, I allowed a small, but fierce, grin to appear in my face. "Now you got it..."

Kouta smirked and nodded, to which I released him. The young teen then made his way towards the bar.

I turned back towards the woman. "Now, what were you telling me about with those animal attacks?"

* * *

- The Water Dragon Slayer -

The flow is an art, more so than a battle tactic. It has applications no matter what is done. To follow the flow is to instinctively know what to say, what to do, and when to do it. Timing is crucial, paramount, in utilizing the flow. Act too soon, and the user's hand is blown; act too late, and the user may not survive.

After a certain point, using the flow is like a dance with death. When done correctly, it can shift the momentum of an entire situation; on the flipside, when a single mistake is made, it means the difference between life and death.

Fortunately for Kouta, he was not in one of those moments. String forward confidently, he approached the young teen at the bar and took a seat at the bar, keeping a seat between them. When the barkeep approached him, he simply shook his head and said, "Just a water." The man arched an eyebrow and pulled out an empty glass, putting it in front of him. The rain simply poured into the glass, slowly filling it up.

It was a few moments of silence as Kouta waited for the glass to fill. As he patiently waited, subtly concealing an amused smile, the woman in blue slowly looked over to him. She couldn't help but notice the glaring difference between him and everyone else in the tavern. It was pouring rain inside and everyone was scrambling to either leave, or cover their heads with something substantial. The person who sat next to her simply sat there, acting as though he didn't have a care in the world. It was...strangely enlightening for her.

"Excuse me..." She said softly to Kouta.

The young Dragon Slayer grabbed his glass and checked its contents. Taking a small drink, he looked over to the girl in the blue. "Yes?"

The girl hesitated as she saw the deep blue of his eyes. "I...I was just wondering why you haven't tried to cover your head..."

He shrugged with a small smile. "I've never felt the need to. Personally, I like the rain. I feel at home when it rains." Kouta paused, slowly smiling to himself.

The girl blinked, surprised at his statement. A small blush appeared on her features as she finally took a closer look to the boy in front of her. The blonde hair that seemed to fall in place, swaying lightly near the end. A slim frame that belied the clear strength present in his build. Deep, dark blue eyes that mirrored the ocean's hidden depths.

"I'm Juvia...Juvia Lockser..." She said softly.

Kouta smiled lightly, "Kouta. Kouta Shikon. It's nice to meet you, Juvia."

"Nice to meet you too, Kouta..."

Turning to better engage himself in the upcoming conversation, Kouta couldn't help but notice the table on which he spoke with Lyall was now vacant. "Tell me, Miss Juvia, what do _you_ think of the rain..."

* * *

- The Occult Slayer -

"I have to say, Shye, that Kouta sure knows how to work the system." I said softly, speaking the brown cat that rested on my shoulder.

"There's not much to say about it, really. Kouta's always been the type that knows what to say or do..." Shye whispered, folding his umbrella shut.

The two of us were now in the forest, making our way towards a small cave. The rain had not reached out here, which struck me as odd, considering the sheer amount of it that was falling in the town. Regardless of that, I strode into the foliage and made my way along the path I was informed by the client. Before, on the way to Oak, all I really knew was that the job was to deal with some 'wild beasts' that terrorized the people from the edges of the forest. However, I didn't know what _exactly_ I had to be hunting; but when se told me, I couldn't help but laugh.

Wild wolves. Animals I'm so intimately familiar with that I'm sure I could perfectly track and outpace in their own natural habitat. The sheer amount of wild wolves my party and I have dealt with are staggeringly high, to the point that we all expressed shock when we discovered that they weren't close to even being endangered, let alone extinct.

However, I was told that these wolves were different. They were a stronger, more magically inclined beast that bordered more on Druidic beasts than simple beasts. My normal tactics would need to be shifted in order to compensate for the increase in danger and my lack of numbers. Shye's a good companion and all, aware and capable of flight, but he's not much in a fight. That's where Kouta came in; he was meant to watch my back in the event of a possible ambush.

While my personal training heightened my awareness to almost a frightening level, I'm still human and things still do escape me. With it being just Shye and myself, I'll have to rely on him to keeping an eye on anything that tries to sneak up on me.

"Fenris Wolfhounds. Even the species name sound dangerous..." I muttered to myself as I scanned the ground for tracks or basically anything that would give me a clue as to where the wolves would be resting. Crouching down, I took a closer look at the ground, casually brushing away leaves without disturbing the general area.

"What are you looking for?" Shye said as he peered at the ground. "I hope you're not playing in the dirt. I mean, it would be real embarrassing if Kouta found his teacher wallowing in the mud."

Rolling my eyes at the cat, I spoke softly, "Keep your voice down. Wolves not only have a good sense of smell, but also hearing. If these 'Fenris Wolfhounds' are as much as they're cracked up to be, then they'll be difficult to sneak up on."

"You're trying to sneak up on something that can pick up your scent from a mile away?" Shye said in complete deadpan, not really believing I could do it.

I smirked, "Shye, you have no idea how long I've been doing this. Things like this are cake for me now, it just takes a little time to actually find the beasts..." My eyes finally found what they were searching for: a paw print. Hovering my hand over it, I realized that the print was quite larger than my hand, around the size of a bear's print. "Tch." I muttered.

"What is it?"

I stood, allowing my eyes to slowly move forward and up, seeing a large set of prints heading to a specific directions. "I've found some prints, but I've got good news and bad news."

"Good news?" Shy said positively.

"They're pretty damn big, so I won't miss when it comes time to remove them..." I trailed off slowly.

"...And the bad news?" Shye said, subtle worry creeping into his tone.

I released a tired breath, "They're freaking huge, so I'll probably have to hit them more than a few times to make them drop." Rolling my shoulders, I exhaled softly and began heading in the direction the tracks led.

Moving quickly, but safely, I maneuvered through the dense foliage as easily as I could, but the bramble seemed to just snag on my foot no matter what I did. Keeping silent, I managed to continue to stealth through a forest that seemed to actively try and trip me up. Deciding to take it as a personal challenge, I pushed my natural dexterity to it's limit and found that the foliage continued to try and trap me, only this time it just stopped being subtle about it. Leaves and branches attempted to wrap around my ankle, but I pulled it out of the way quickly.

"Shye, I think you should hold on tight." I said softly, grinning lightly.

"Gotcha." He said, succinctly.

Bending my legs, I shot forward, moving faster and keeping my footfalls silent. Feeling the enchantments in my boots activate, I sprinted through the bramble and slipped passed swinging branches. I moved as quickly and as efficiently as I could, putting all of my hard-won experience to work in this annoying elaborate snare.

After a few moments, I managed to break off into a clearing. My heart pounded comfortably and I felt my muscles loosened an stretched. Allowing a grin to appear on my face, I muttered, "Now that I'm warmed up, this'll be a cakewalk." Taking a more clear look of my surroundings, I saw that I had come upon a cave entrance. The tracks that I was following all lead into that cave.

"Shye, take to the sky. I'm going in." When the cat left my shoulder, I reached up and silently drew my twin bastard swords. Walking forward slowly and silently, I made my way towards the mouth of the cave.

Unfortunately, my trek was halted by something striding out from the mouth of the cave. I stopped immediately lifted my blades, preparing myself for whatever the beast could do.

"Calm yourself...hunter, I mean you...no harm.." A ragged, distinctly feminine voice told me. The beast stepped out of the mouth of the cave, revealing itself to be a large black wolf, whose fur was caked and matted with blood. Her front left paw was held against her side, though parts of it hung loosely.

"Why?" I asked warily.

"I have...dealt with my more...enraged kin. They are...no more..." She swayed lightly, her bright, intelligent grey eyes flickered lightly. She was dying.

I spun my blades in my grasp, stabbing them into the ground. "Why?" I repeated my question, though my voice was soft and gentle.

She simply gazed at me. "You would disarm yourself before a possible enemy, hunter? Do you think me an easy prey that you could finish with ease?" Her voice was hard and challenging.

"No." I replied with conviction. "I'll trust the word of a mother simply protecting her pups."

If it was possible, the large wolf's eyes widened lightly. Then, small wheezing sounds came from the majestic beast. "You are a strange hunter, young one. You would disarm yourself before me."

I felt a small smile appear on my face. "I like to think that I have a kind heart. Just as you have those you would kill for, I too have similar convictions for my comrades." Pausing, I gestured to both of my blades, smirking lightly. "Plus, as long as these blades are here, I'm technically not unarmed."

She shook her head. "What a strange hunter you are." Then, like a puppet who's strings were cut, the wolf dropped down, as if unable to support her own weight. "Sadly, I could not attack you, even if the desire struck me..."

"The love and loyalty a mother has for her cubs is an empowering force. I have no doubt that you have one more kill left in you, alpha." I said respectfully, making no move to step away from my blades.

"To speak so strongly about such things, you sound as though have experience..." She stated softly.

I smiled wistfully, "While, I know not of a mother's love, since I never knew mine, I've experienced the will to defend and kill for someone I loved early in life."

"You sound as though you failed..."

"I did..." I replied softly, just above a whisper. "It seemed like my abilities did not match my feelings..."

She wheezed again, "You're young, even for your species, and yet you have the world-weariness and beliefs of one of mine." She closed her eyes and bared her fangs in a pained growl. After a moment of silence, the female alpha continued, "It seems your hunt will end without you having to bloody your blade..."

I was silent for a moment, then said, "If it's any consolation, then I would not have enjoyed ending the life of such a majestic such as you."

Her eyes turned sharp and flinty, the growled challengingly. "You sound as though you would've beaten me."

"I've grown stronger since my failure so that I would not fail again."

"As do we all, hunter." She was silent for the longest moment, but sighed. "It seems we will never know the outcome of such a fight." She whined pitifully, though, to me, it seemed to mar her pride more than anything else to show weakness. "I...have a personal...request for you, hunter..."

I nodded my consent, waiting for her to continue.

"You seem to know what it is to be close to nature, as you were able to make it through the bramble. In addition, you're able to understand how a wolf thinks." She paused, giving me a level look. "What I'm going to ask you is of great personal importance, so do not take it lightly."

I nodded again.

"Inside my den, there is a nest of pups. Unfortunately, only one survived the duel I had with my pack. My weakness, my failure, caused my pack, my family, to destroy themselves from the inside. As I cannot raise my pup, I ask that you take my place and teach her what it is to value loyalty, family and respect." She was silent as she sucked in a breath through her mouth. I noticed her flexing the injured limb and push herself up. The alpha strode purposefully towards me, her grey eyes meeting my own. "What I ask is the highest honor one of my kind can give, as our pups are very impressionable and in possession of great potential, surpassing even their parents. Are you up to the task, hunter?"

The alpha was up to my chest in height; pausing, I crouched so that I could look directly into her eyes. "I am. I swear to you that I will ensure your pup is taught everything she needs to learn about being one of her kind."

The alpha regarded me levelly, then closed her eyes, content with my response. Then, suddenly, her legs gave out from under her. She crashed to the ground and released a tired breath. "I'm not much longer for this world, hunter. Would you tell me your name, so I know the keeper of my pup?"

"Lyall." I replied softly.

"'Lyall'... That is a very strong name..." She then released her last breath and left the land of the living, finally content.

I grabbed my swords and sheathed them. Kneeling, I bowed my head in respect and remained still for a few moments. Standing, I continued to gaze at the fallen wolf. "I am no priest, but I still wish you happiness in the next life." Turning from her, I strode into the den. Reaching into my pack, I pulled out a small torch and struck a match along the edge of my boot. Lighting the torch, I exhaled as I saw the remnants of the female wolfs battle. Several dead wolves, far larger than her, were strewn about, missing various parts, and left to rot. Stepping passed them I came upon a small clearing, and saw a single, sleeping wolf pup. It was rather small, around the size a normal dog would be as a puppy, but I could tell without a doubt that it would be one of the largest its kind.

Crouching down, I gingerly scooped up the small wolf and held it. "You're a girl..." I said as I leaned my head to the side. Smiling lightly, I made my way out of the den. "You'll be like you mother one day, I'm sure of it. Won't you...Fenri?" I gave her a name as I stepped out of the den.

Shye descended down to me. He seemed a little shaken, but that wasn't more than a little widening of the eyes. "What happened?"

"The job was done for us..." I looked down to the small wolf resting in my arms. Releasing a breath, I said, "Go get Kouta. We're heading back..."

* * *

- The Water Dragon Slayer -

Kouta smiled lightly as he and Juvia strode out of the bar. "I have to say, it has a been joy speaking with you. Hopefully, we may be able to do so again."

Juvia flushed lightly, "Thank you, Kouta-kun. It has been good to speak with you too. It is a shame that I need to leave." She turned to the side and was about to walk away, but hesitated. "Um, Kouta-kun, where are you from? I'd, uh, like to keep in touch..."

He paused and opened his mouth to answer, but a voice in the distance caught his attention. Turning to the side, he lifted a hand and held it over his eyes, managing to catch sight of Shye flying towards him.

The brown flying cat descended towards him and perched on the Dragon Slayer's shoulder and said, "Lyall's finished with the job. We're heading back."

Kouta sighed heavily, "Already?" Turning back to Juvia, he said, "Well, this is Shye, one my closest friends. Unfortunately, since he came to get me, it's time for me to head back."

Juvia pouted lightly, "Oh..."

"Yeah..."

Shye looked back and forth between the two of them, now holding his umbrella. He sighed heavily, "Kouta we need to go...now."

Kouta frowned, "Now?" Shye nodded urgently. Looking back to Juvia, he said, "I'm sorry to cut this short, but my friend needs to get back." Though he turned to walk away, he paused and lifted his shirt, showing Juvia his green guild mark. "I'm a Fairy Tail mage; I live in Magnolia. Hopefully we can stay in contact." Turning away from her, he took off running in the direction Shye pointed to.

After a few moments, Kouta reached the caravan as it was heading towards the exit out of town. As he approached it, the back was pushed open and showed Lyall already sitting inside of it, a small bundle lying next to him. The hunter smirked at the young wizard, "Ready for another round of motion sickness, Kouta?"

He groaned and climbed in, bracing himself for another long ride.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim ownership of Fairy Tail, just the OC's I use. Also, I do own the semi-crazy D&D PC, Lyall.

**The Hunter's 'Tail'**

Prologue

Part Four

- One Year Later -

"One more round and we'll see who can drink the most in Fairy Tail!" A random guild mate cried out amongst the group crowded around two specific individuals.

I scratched my head lightly, a little confused as to what I was witnessing as I strode into the guild hall. Since I had just returned from a job pertaining to tracking down, incapacitating and helping to incarcerate Dark Guild wizards for the army, I was completely at a loss as what in the hell was happening at my guild.

"Say, Fenri, do you have any clue what these idiots are doing?" I asked the large black wolf that stood at my side.

Fenri sniffed lightly, her black snout slightly poking the air as she inhaled the general scent of the guildhall. "There are people drinking quite a bit of alcohol..." She huffed lightly, shaking her head tiredly.

Her first year as a part of Fairy Tail, and as my partner, was quite the exciting one. For her and for me, considering the fact that when I first heard her speak, I nearly had a heart attack. I could understand that her mother could speak, but I thought it was because she happened to be much older and more powerful. I guess it just has to do with her species' growth patterns.

In addition, it seems that they have a taste for cats, as I had to physically restrain her in order to convince her not to eat Happy or Shye. Now _that_ was awkward...

The large black wolf walked with me as I approached the cluster of wizards. She easily reached a few inches above my knees in height but was still rather thin for her age. Though, I'm sure she'll grow into an extremely imposing wolf, not unlike her mother. Clearing my throat, I caught Gray's attention. The ice mage turned to me as I asked, "So, who challenged who?"

He snorted, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "Kouta started talking big about how he could drink more beer than Cana, since he's the Water Dragon Slayer."

I palmed my face, "For the third time?"

"Fifth. You missed it a few days ago." He gestured to table in the center of the crowd.

Releasing a tired breath, I pushed myself into the copse of people.

"Gray, your clothes." Fenri stated to the severely underdressed ice wizard.

"Ah, crap! Again!?"

As I made my way to the table, I could hear the two people at the table going back and forth, their words slurred and gradual.

"I-I haf to ssay Kouta, y-you-" *hic* "-can really hold your stuff."

"Y-you're not ssso bad your-" *hic* "-self."

I managed to reach the table and see the both of them surrounded not only by our guild mates, but also several kegs of alcohol. Seeing the both of them, I palmed my face, wondering if this was how Auren felt whenever I pulled an idiotic stunt. "Seriously?" I said to the both of them. "You were the both so bored that you decided to drink the guild's entire stock of beer?"

Kouta gazed drunkenly at me, swaying lightly in his seat. He hiccupped lightly and narrowed his eyes. Shaking his head, he took another drink.

Watching him drink, I scrunched my eyebrows. "Are you 'eating' the beer like you would water?!" I palmed my face and let out a small laugh. I don't know why, but I couldn't help but find that quite hilarious. Shaking my head, I released a calming breath and looked around. "Where's Shye?"

"Up here..."

I lifted my head and looked to ceiling. For some odd reason, Shye was tied up with rope and hanging from the rafters. Blinking slowly, I groaned softly. "It's a sad day when I'm actually the sane one..." Sighing, I looked to Fenri, "Can you get him down? I'd like to deal with these two."

"I've got it." She then walked out of the crowd.

I turned back to two of them and saw that they had promptly passed out; Cana was lying on the table. Kouta, one the other hand, was splayed out on the floor. I sighed and shook my head. "I'm not helping either of them." As I left through the crowd, it was slowly dispersing, everyone going back to their own tables. Looking up, I saw that Fenri was balancing on one of the rafters, chewing on the rope that held Shye in place. Heading towards the bar, I was about to sit, but I noticed Mira heading down the stairs, from the second floor.

Upon seeing me, she lifted her hand and called out, "You're back!" Jumping over the railing, she landed behind the bar and walked around it. Getting to me, she said, "The Master just got an emergency job request and asked if I would take care of it."

I rubbed my chin lightly, "What is it?"

"We were asked to get rid of a rampaging monster, the so-called 'Beast King'. It'd be a cake for me beat it on my own, but you once said you used to fight things like that. I figured you'd want to reminisce a little." She grinned widely, crossing her arms.

I shrugged, "Sure, it's been a while since I've actually had to push myself. Though it might take a little more than the two of us." Looking to the side, I noticed that Fenri was back at her regular space, lying off to the side and at my feet. She was licking her paw absent-mindedly.

"Of course, I was thinking of getting Elfman and Lisanna for the job, to help give them a little experience with higher level jobs." Mira smirked lightly.

"That wasn't who I was thinking of asking to come with us." I gave her reproachful look. "If it's to fight something like the 'Beast King', then you shouldn't bring people who need experience. Things like that, it'd be better to bring people you know will be able to handle themselves. Erza, Laxus or Kou-" I paused as I looked to my sleeping, heavily-intoxicated protégé, then shook my head. "Forget that last name for the moment."

She glared at me and, for the first time in a long time, actually snapped back at me. "You don't think Elfman and Lisanna can handle themselves? And why would I bring that cow?!"

I sighed heavily, "That's not what I'm saying at all. What I _am_ saying is that neither of them are experienced enough. You yourself have said that Elfman is still unable to perform a full body Beast Takeover. Also, Lisanna isn't a warrior, at least not in the way you are. Right now, they need to go jobs closer to their level, gradually moving up."

"That's for you to decide, Lyall. If I want them to go on the job, then they're going to come with me." She stepped up to me, her blue eyes alight with anger. "Are you with me or not?"

I didn't bend to her glare, only meeting her eyes with mine. We remained still for a few moments before I closed my eyes and released a breath. "Fine, I'm with you." I smirked, "After all, I need to make sure you don't get hurt."

Mira's face flushed heavily at my words and stepped away from me crouching to face Fenri. Scratching the back of her ear, she said, "It's nice that you think that, but I don't need you to protect me. Isn't that right, Fenri?"

A small hum rumbled deep in Fenri's chest as she leaned into the scratching of her ear. Her back leg thumped continually, striking the ground. "Just a little to the right and it'll be perfect..." She muttered lightly; when she was obliged, Fenri slumped to the side, simply allowing Mira to continue.

"You little traitor." I muttered with a small smile. Sighing lightly, I said to Mira, "When do we leave?"

"As soon as we can." With one last scratch, she stood and continued, "I just need to get Elfman and Lisanna."

I nodded, "I need to get something quick to eat, is there anywhere you want to meet?"

"At the town entrance. I'll have a few horses prepared, we'll have to be quick."

I smirked lightly, "It's been years since I've good hard ride."

At that, Mira blushed heavily and turned away from me. Striding out of the guild, she said over her shoulder, "Don't be late, Lyall!"

I blinked at that, a little confused as to what just happened.

"You know, for a tracker, Lyall, you can be really be unobservant when it comes to women." Fenri said softly as she got to her feet. Bumping my leg affectionately, she looked up to me and quickly shot towards Mira.

I blinked again, "Am I missing something?"

* * *

- One Hour Later -

Violently thrown back, I was slammed against that stone wall of a nearby home. Collapsing onto the ground, I gritted my teeth and tried to reorient my spinning head.

"Lyall! Are you okay?!" Elfman deep baritone called out to me moments before the large beast back handed him as well, throwing him into a much softer surface.

"I'm fine!" Pushing myself to my feet, I wavered slightly but regained my balance. Picking up my swords, I glared up to the 'Beast King' and tried to catch my breath. My chest throbbed painfully. _I probably have two broken ribs, and a fracture... And that's being generous..._ Clenching my hands around the hilts of my swords, I released a calming breath and crouched. Shooting forward, I evaded a head-crushing slam of its hand and leapt onto its arm. I deftly ran up the limp and stabbed downwards, allowing the blade of my sword to carve into the beasts flesh.

It roared in enraged agony and swiped at me with its second hand.

Quickly removing the blade, I leapt over the attack and flipped mid air. Landing on its other arm, I slashed at its arm and quickly leapt away, evading a second swipe at it.

The beast went to pursue me, but it was quickly cut off by Elfman crushing a transformed fist into its stomach. The beast was lifted several inches from the ground and thrown back a good bit.

My breaths were ragged and pained as I dropped to a knee. Placing a sword on the ground, I gingerly touched my side. Grimacing, I nodded lightly, "Yep, it's definitely broken..."

Elfman rushed over to my side. "Lyall, are you okay?"

I nodded again, "Yeah, it's nothing. Just a broken rib. I should be able to keep going."

"Are you sure? Because Mira would kill me if something were to happen to you." Elfman said shakily, though I could tell he was also injured.

"I'm fine." I repeated, getting back to my feet. "It's coming back, get ready. Remember, don't stay still for too long. The fucker hits hard as hell."

"Gotcha."

The two us waited as it charged. When it got close enough, we acted instantly. I allowed Elfman to strike first, as I maneuvered behind it. Striking viciously from behind, I hit every weak spot I knew, tearing out pieces of its flesh with various slashes and thrusts. It roared in rage and agony as it turned to face me, only for Elfman to strike the wounds I tore open, prompting it to turn and face him.

The two of us continued this for what felt like hours, trading and evading blows with the larger, more powerful opponent. In the span of a few seconds, we had frustrated the Beast King to the point it reared back its head and unleashed a savage, ear-shattering roar. Elfman flinched in shock, unable to predict what would happen. I simply ignored it, continuing to tear into its side with my blades.

It suddenly brought both of its large arms to bear and threw them to the sides, striking the both of us at the same time.

I blacked out for an instant, the pain shutting everything down the moment I was struck. My body flew through the air like a rag doll, swords falling from my limp hands and clattering to the ground. Surprisingly, I didn't crash into any buildings; instead, I felt the comforting heat of another person. I blinked slowly, trying to refocus before the beast attacked. Focusing my vision, I took notice of Lisanna above me.

"Lyall! Lyall can you hear me!?" Her soft blue eyes reminded me of Mira's.

Grimacing, I recoiled as I breathed. "Yeah, but my side is killing me."

Lisanna let loose a relieved sigh, "Thank goodness, I was afraid something may have happened."

Gritting my teeth, I tried to sit up, but let out a pained gasp.

The young teen gingerly placed a hand on my chest, keeping me lying down. "You're too injured to keep fighting. You clearly have a broken rib or two, with the way you just acted."

"Three...and a half, probably." I retorted, grimacing. Shaking my head, I continued, "Where are the others? Where're Mira and Elfman?"

"Fighting the Beast King. We arrived after it struck the both of you. If Mira hadn't caught you, you would've been hurt a lot worse."

So, Mira caught me, huh?

Groaning, I continued to try and push myself up.

Lisanna, being the ever-dutiful custodian of me, pushed me back down. "You're too injured, Lyall. I can't let you fight." She chastised me.

I hissed painfully, "I've had worse, believe me. Just let me get up and fight! I have to help them!"

"No!"

I glared heavily at the girl holding me. Her heart was in the right place, but it was starting to grate my nerves. The beast was too much for only two of us to handle at a time. It was fast, powerful and had the weight to throw around. No matter how strong Mira is, she can't beat the thing while worrying about us. I had to get back out there.

"Lisanna, let me get back out there, please."

"No, you're too injured. Mira told me to make sure you stayed safe while she and Elfman beat the Beast King."

I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes. Slowly inhaling and exhaling, I completely pushed everything out. The pain I was feeling was explosive, to the point where it could impede my concentration. So...it had to go. I couldn't heal myself, but I could push it out. I had to fight. I had to help Mira and Elfman.

Exhaling one last time, I reached up and grabbed Lisanna by her wrist. Pushing it away from my chest, I held it away from me and pushed myself to a sitting position. "I'm fine." My words were strained and curt, but I was able to ignore the pain in my abdomen.

"You shouldn't be-"

I cut her off by standing to my full height. Though it wasn't that imposing, I surprised both her and me with how easily I was able to do so. "I'm not letting them fight it alone. I am going to fight by them." I said slowly and softly. Crouching, I shot forward, staying low to the ground. Rushing forward, I threw my hands forward and picked up my swords by the hilts.

Reaching the battle, I noticed that while Mira was in her Satan Soul transformation, she was still struggling to keep up with the beast's strength. Elfman was also lying on the ground, not moving. Leaping up, I crashed my feet into the beasts face, flipping away before it could retaliate. Landing next to Mira, who took that moment to retreat, I kept my body tensed and ready to continue.

"What the hell are you doing, Lyall!? You're too injured to fight right now!" Mira snapped at me, anger present in her tone.

"I don't care!" I retorted, frustrated. "I'm not going to let you fight this on your own. I've survived too many brawls in worse conditions than this to just let you risk your life in fighting this thing alone. You're too precious to me, Mira, so I'll risk everything that I am in order to make sure you, and everyone else, get out of here relatively unhurt, and alive at the very least. So just keep quiet and let me help you, understand!?"

Mira was struck silent by my sudden retort, looking as though she was unsure of what to say next. Then, after a moment or two, she replied in a soft whisper, "Yes."

"Good." I released a small breath. "When it attacks, hit it as hard and as many times as you can without getting hit yourself. Don't worry about anything, or anyone, else here. Leave all of that to me. You're the one with the abilities to put this thing down for good, so you damn well better use them. Am I understood?"

Mira nodded lightly, her face flushed with color.

I heard the beast roar and charge towards us.

"It's coming! Get ready!" I cried out, as if challenging the beast, and followed Mira when she charged towards it.

Unlike before, with Elfman, Mira and I were nearly perfectly synchronized. The instant she moved, I moved along with her; the instant she left herself open, I covered for her. When I left myself open, she covered for me. The two of us were maneuvering around the beast as if dancing to our own personal music, striking with an unrelenting force and frightening precision. She would attack and attack, and I would keep an eye on the others, making sure that nothing would happen. Every move we made was in near perfect synch.

The beast roared, clearly frustrated with it's prey being so much of an annoyance. With an act the showed its growing rage, it lifted a large hand and swung it inwards. I watched it coming with wide eyes; I could predict its path, see where it would go and who it would hit. I could dodge it effortlessly, but I couldn't say the same for Mira.

I could evade the strike without problem, but Mira would be struck with the beast's overwhelming strength.

Fuck that.

Dropping my swords, I turned to the side and grabbed Mira by her shoulders. Turning to the side, I half-threw, half-pushed her away from the incoming attack. The moment she was out of harm's reach, I felt the beast's fist crash into my abdomen, causing everything to go black.

* * *

When I finally came to, I was lying on the hard rock ground with debris littered around me. Looking around, I noted with unnatural lucidity that the village was on fire.

Yes. The village was on fire and I was right in the middle of it.

Groaning as though I've done this my entire life, I pushed myself to my feet and promptly fell to my knees. Coughing painfully, I gritted my teeth and touched my side. It burned me with pain, nearly causing me to lose consciousness again. Shaking my head, I pushed myself to my feet and staggered to the side.

Trying not to inhale too much of the smoke, I looked around for my swords. Seeing them resting a few feet away from me, I walked over to them and sheathed them with some effort. Releasing a breath, I turned and shot out of the burning village, moving as quickly as I could with my battered body.

Reaching the trees, I stepped into the foliage and heard a loud roar. I looked into the direction of the roar and took off sprinting as fast as my body would allow. It burned. It hurt more than anything I've felt in the past, but I couldn't, no, I wouldn't let that stop me.

My foot caught onto a root, sending me crashing onto the ground. Unable to move, I felt my mind slipping, my consciousness leaving me. Fighting it back, I slid a hand under me and pushed up. My chest ignited with agony, nearly sending me sprawling back onto the ground, but I fought it back.

Getting back to my feet, I tried to move as fast I could in the direction of the roar. Call me an idiot; call me a suicidal moron, but I had people I needed to back up, people that trusted me. I couldn't let any of them die.

"Lisanna, what are you doing?!"

Mira's voice cut into the silence in front of me. I jerked my head to the side, trying to locate the source.

"What's the matter, Elf-nii-chan?"

"Lisanna! Get away, now!"

I sucked in a pained breath and pushed myself farther, trying to reach the source of their voices.

"It's me, Elf-nii-chan, Lisanna, your little sister. Do you not remember me? Have you forgotten Mira-nee too?"

I finally reached the opening in the trees, only to see Mira, injured and sitting on the ground behind Lisanna, who was slowly approaching a large beast. A part of me recognized it as similar to the one that I fought earlier, but a gut feeling was telling me it was different.

The beast cocked its head to the side.

Lisanna smiled widely, "See, you'd never really forget us. You love the both of us way too much."

A low rumble began in the beast's chest.

I felt my eyes widen and my feet act on their own. I broke through the clearing and sprinted towards Lisanna, my legs burning painfully.

The beast roared into the sky and lifted its hand, swiping towards Lisanna.

My body flew across the gap between us as I leapt forward at the last possible second. Wrapping my arms tightly around Lisanna, I tackled her out of the way of the swipe and allowed the wind behind the attack to push us away, with my battered body taking the brunt of it. The two of bounced across the ground before finally coming to a stop. I pushed myself off of her and quickly got into a crouch.

My breaths came out in short ragged gasps as I looked at the large monster in front of us. My vision wavered dangerously, as if my body was threatening me with loss of consciousness again.

"Lyall...?" Mira's voice carried across the open air between us. Relief was present in her question, but I could see the confusion in her eyes.

"Who is this? Why did you call it Elfman?" I asked the two women before me, while facing the beast in front of us.

"He attempted a Full Body Take Over after you were knocked unconscious. It's magic proved to be too strong for him." Mira explained softly.

I gritted my teeth and stood fully. "Lisanna... What you did was admirable, but stupid." She gaped at me, her eyes wide with shock. Striding past her, I continued, "It's admirable that you would hope to reach his heart through the beast that's taken him over, but it's stupid to put yourself right in harm's way." I came to a stop in front of the two of them, glaring down the possessed Elfman. "Right now, this isn't Elfman. It's destructive instinct given form. The only way to get through to him the way he is now is to exhaust him."

"Then let me do it, Lyall. You're injured." Lisanna said, though she was now only sitting on the ground.

I shook my head. "No can do. There's a lesson I need to teach Elfman right now." Unsheathing my swords, I stabbed them into the ground. For what I was planning on doing, I had to be as light as I possibly could. Undoing my cloak, I draped it over the hilts and crouched. Rushing forward, I met the rampaging Elfman head-on.

He roared and swiped at me. I leapt up and over his hand, kicking him across the face. Flipping off of the kick, I dodged another swipe.

"C'mon, Elfman, wake up! This is _your_ body! Not the beast's!" I cried out to him.

Landing heavily onto the ground, I felt my leg shiver, barely able to hold up my weight. Grimacing, I threw my body to the side, dodging a two handed smash.

Rushing forward, I struck him on the side, hitting a weak point. Elfman roared in agony and twisted to the side, swiping at me.

Barely managing to dodge it, I cried, "You can do better than that, Elfman! C'mon, a _real_ man would've hit me by now!"

The possessed Elfman reared back his head and roared again, as if further enraged. Lifting his hands, he sent them crashing into the ground around me.

I dodged every one of his attacks, as if dancing around them. My right leg shook again, stopping me in place.

The final strike nearly hit, but I managed to side step at the last possible moment.

"A real man doesn't give up, no matter what, Elfman! So why aren't you fighting from the inside!? Huh?!"

He roared again and charged towards me.

I felt a grin appear on my face as I leapt to the side, evading his charge and grabbing onto his arm. Climbing onto his back, I reared back my fist and drove into the base of his spine. He roared again, this time in a combination of rage and agony.

"A real man never gives in; never lets his fears rule him! He keeps moving forward, regardless of obstacle or distraction! But most of all..." I grabbed onto his horns and kicked myself up. As I fell back downwards, I crashed my feet in his back, sending Elfman slamming into the ground. "A real man protects the people he cares about! He never lets any harm come to them, regardless if it's from others or himself!"

I was fading, and fast. All of this exertion was really pushing my limits.

Elfman bucked underneath me, but simply reared back my fist and drove it downward again. It impacted his back again, sending him back to the ground.

"Wake up, Elfman! Your sisters are calling you! Can't you hear them!?"

"Elfman!" Mira's voice carried effortlessly from across the field.

"Elf-nii-chan, we're waiting for you!" Lisanna called out as well.

I breathed heavily and leaned down, whispering lightly. "Don't you hear them? Don't you feel their fear and apprehension? As a man...as the man you want to be, it's your duty to protect your sisters." Leaning back, I sucked in a breath and yelled, "Beat this thing! This is your body! Your mind! Your magic! As a man, as a brother, as a mage of Fairy Tail, it's your duty!"

Elfman pushed himself to his feet and roared into the sky.

Losing strength in my arms, I fell limply from his back and landed on the ground behind him. Breathing slowly, I watched as Elfman slowly turned to face me, his shining purple eyes beaming down at me. "Are you strong enough?" I asked him, my voice soft.

He roared again, lifting his arms above his head. Bringing them down, he sent them flying towards me...

But they stopped, inches from my face.

Slowly, but surely, the large beast that stood over me shrunk gradually until Elfman was at his normal size. He stared down at me, his eyes wide with shock and fear. Stepping away from me, he looked at his hands. "I-I...did it..."

I grinned and let out a small laugh, "Of course you did, Elfman. You're a man, after all."

Elfman looked to me, his eyes wide. "Lyall!" Running to my side, he said, "Are you okay?"

"Well, I'm absolutely, dead-tired and I hurt all over. So...it's like every other day." I grinned widely at Elfman and his look of absolute shock.

Then he shook his head. "You're ridiculous, Lyall..." He went silent for a moment, then stood and offered me a hand up. "But you're a real man."

I laughed lightly, and managed to throw my hand into his, allowing him to pretty much lift me from the ground. "So, I got through that thick head of yours, eh?"

Giving me hand to remain standing, he nodded lightly, "Yeah, but it was faint at first. I could hear everyone's voice, but I couldn't do a thing. When you fought me, saying all of that, I was able to focus directly onto you..."

"Which exclaimed that vicious volley of attacks, though they were telegraphed from a mile away." I remarked jokingly. When he let me go, I found that my legs refused to further support my weight, going on a long-deserved mutiny in order to force me to rest. I nearly collapsed in an instant, but Elfman caught me by the arm. "Yeah, it's embarrassing to admit it, but I'm either going to have to crawl, or you carry me. They're both pretty demeaning options to me personally, I have to say."

Elfman blinked lightly, but shook his head with a chuckle. Lifting me over his head, he put in a fireman carry and strode back over to the girls.

When we reached them, I looked to Mira and Lisanna and lifted a hand. "Hey, since this is done with, we can head back home, right? Because there's this incredibly hilarious bard in town who tells the funniest stories. I'm hoping I could get back soon and listen as he tells his next tale to the kiddies. I absolutely _have_ to heckle him before getting treated, it's been my dream to annoy a bard with his audience laughing along with me." I paused, looking over my shoulder, "I guess having a broken rib or four would help the memory stick."

The group was silent for a moment, simply giving me incredulous stares. Then, after a few moments of silence, I heard a small chuckle come from Lisanna, who quickly covered her mouth in shock.

Mira looked to her, then to me. She struggled to her feet and staggered over to me.

"Nee-chan!" Elfman said quickly, clearly worried about Mira's injuries.

She gave him a soft look, her eyes swimming as she looked him over. Holding her right arm gingerly at her side, she walked over to him and stepped to the side, facing me. Lifting her left arm, she gently placed her hand on my cheek, looking deep into my eyes.

"Mira?" I inquired softly.

As if on cue, tears began to fall down her face. Her lower lip quivered as she smiled softly, "Lyall..." She whispered my name. "You saved them..."

I felt my eyes widen. "I didn't really save them. I just happened to wake up at the right time and make it to the ri-"

Suddenly, she interrupted me with quite possibly one of the best interrupts created by society. Mirajane quickly leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine, gently holding cupping my cheek with her hand. Her soft lips moved slowly and tenderly against mine; the sudden action surprised me, but I couldn't help but reciprocate the action.

When she finally broke away, Mira gave me a wide-eyed gaze, tears still flowing.

I blinked once, then a second time. "You know...I think I've had enough excitement for one day..."

At that moment, I promptly fell unconscious for the second time.

* * *

As I slowly returned to the painful land of the conscious, I found that I was lying on a rather comfy bed. Of course, since I'm not used to waking up in strange places, I was careful to continue acting asleep. Subtly inhaling through my nose, I tried to catch a strange scent, the remnants of a drug, the stench of orcs, but caught nothing. Blanking my thoughts, I fought off any potential mental attacks, but there were none. Subtly flexing my arms and legs, I found that I wasn't being restrained, only covered my a thin blanket.

I also found that a hand was holding onto mine and there was a weight lying at my feet.

Slowly opening my eyes, I found that I was back in Fairy Tail's infirmary, feeling strangely nostalgic of my first day here. Looking around, I saw a head of white hair resting on the side of the bed, a soft, feminine hand firmly holding onto mine.

Turning my head to look out the window, I saw that the sun was just coming up, the light of dawn breaking into the room.

"How long was I out?" I absently asked myself.

Shrugging a single shoulder, I grimaced at a pinching sensation in my chest region. Releasing a slow breath, I turned my head back over to Mira. Gently squeezing her hand in mine, I couldn't help but smile at her attendance.

My bedside nurse shifted lightly, groaning into consciousness. Slowly, she lifted her head from my bed and blinked tiredly, clearly confused as to what she was doing. Her right arm in a white cast.

"Tell me, nurse. Did I miss the bard's tale? I was really looking forward to the heckling. It was really going to be the highlight of week."

Mira's eyes slowly widened when she finally regained full faculty control. A small breath escaped her as she whispered, "You're awake..." Releasing my hand, she nearly jumped on top of me as she wrapped her arm around me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

I grimaced as I felt her embrace me tightly, her cheek pressed tightly against mine. "You know, while I personally like the hug, my ribs aren't really thinking the same thing."

She gasped lightly, pulling away quickly. "I-I'm sorry..." Her voice was uncharacteristically soft. "I...I was just worried you were injured a bit too much."

Shaking my head, I reassured her, "Believe me, if a few broken ribs were all it took to take me out of a fight, then I'd have retired ages ago." Gritting my teeth, I tried to push myself into a sitting position.

Mira quickly placed a hand on my shoulder, keeping me from moving. "I can't let move too much." She reached to the side and grabbed a small cup. "At least not before you drink this..."

I took the cup and looked at it's contents. It was a slightly luminescent liquid that was absolutely still even as I held it in my hand. "I take it Porlyusica managed to recreate the potion?"

Mira shrugged, "She's always been at good at things like that."

I released a breath and downed the entire contents. Grimacing a the aftertaste, I smacked my lips lightly. "I don't remember the potions being this bitter..."

"She's never liked humans, so I guess that would explain it." Mira laughed lightly.

Nodding quickly, I cleared my throat and handed her the cup. Sighing, I rubbed my face, feeling the potion slowly take affect and begin to mend my injuries. "What happened after we returned?"

"Elfman carried you to the infirmary. Everyone was really worried about you. You had four broken ribs and three fractures, your leg was also sprained; it was a miracle that you were able to move as well as you did..." Mira said softly, almost regretfully.

"Damn..." I muttered unbelievingly. Then shook my head, "I expected as much. A few years ago, this was routine for me when things really got dicey. I've learned to block it out."

Mira's hand clasped tightly onto mine as she took a seat, bowing her head. "Please...don't talk like that." I gave her a mildly confused look. "I-I hate it when you speak so flippantly about such painful injuries."

"I-I..."

"When I saw you put your life on the line to fight the beast and then save Elfman, I was afraid, so very afraid..." She squeezed my hand tightly, "But you saved him. You had no reason to, but you willingly put your life on the line to save not only him, but my baby sister too."

"I already told once before, I don't need a reason to save a comrade. There's nothing special abou-"

"Yes, there is!" She suddenly cut me off. "You always say that. You're not from here, you should be trying to get back home, but you're not." She turned her face from me, "You should have someone waiting for you. You're the type of a guy a girl would kill to have at her side. Strong, loyal, kind and selfless." She gritted her teeth, "Yet, you've remained here. Why?"

I was silent for what felt like an eternity, trying to put together how I felt into words. When it finally came to me, I was unable to hold back the small laugh that broke free from me. "Family. I've never had a family. I grew up on my own, scavenging in the streets for something to eat; sneaking into homes, taverns and shops to steal what I needed to survive. When the military caught me, they put me to work. In my assignment, I met a wizard, a man I would fight side by side with for the next eight years. In all that time, I've gained and lost comrades, loved ones and acquaintances. Yet..."

Mira looked to me, "Yet what?"

"The first time I actually sat down in the guild hall and spoke with everyone, I not only saw, but _felt_, the close ties between everyone there. When I first experienced that, I felt jealous and, for the first time in years, lost." Pausing, I released a breath, "My time in the military at my home world, there was one thing that I was best at, more than anyone else my group ran into, and that was reading people. When I first met the people in this guild, I was able to get a very shallow, but powerful, feeling that the people in this guild were more than friends, they were family..."

I chuckled lightly, looking away from me her with a small blush. "I joined the guild in order to experience the one thing that I've never been able to experience: to be a part of a family." I chuckled lightly, scratching my head with my free hand. "It's...it's pretty childish to hear it said out loud, but it's what I feel. All I've ever wanted is to be in a family, since I've never had one of my own..."

The two of us were silent for longest time, allowing my words to stew between us. I had said my piece and was content in waiting for a response, but Mira was staring intently in my eyes, her own swimming lightly. Her hand squeezed mine tightly, slowly entwining our fingers. Then Mira sucked in a slow breath and closed her eyes. Licking her lips nervously, I watched as she opened her eyes and whispered, "I love you..."

I froze, my heart beginning to race the moment she said that. My eyes honed in on hers, searching them closely. My breath caught as I tried to remain coherent, shocked at her choice of words. I was struck silent, not knowing to what to say in response. If anyone I knew back home were to be here at this very moment, it would not be only be extremely awkward, but they would see an occurrence that could only happen when the stars aligned perfectly: Lyall, the fast-talking, snarky rogue at a loss for words.

Gulping audibly, I felt my face heat up when I finally managed to speak. "I'm sorry...?"

Mira's face flushed heavily, "I-I said 'I love you'..." I blinked, slowly looking down. As I opened my mouth to say something, she cut me off. "You went out of your way to save me in your job, expecting nothing in return. That was when I really began to fall for you. Over the years, as I was teaching you our language, I was able to get a better insight as to who you really are. The more I learned, the more I found that I wanted to know about you. I'll admit, it was a case of puppy love at first, a small form of hero-worship. But...over time, I began to become addicted to your company, your presence." She squeezed my hand, to which I couldn't resist doing the same. "It really came to the forefront yesterday, when you told me to rethink the thought of bringing Elfman and Lisanna on the S-class job. It wasn't you looking down on them, you cared for their welfare, wishing for them to stay out of harm. My pride got in the way, though; I thought that because they were my siblings, that they could succeed if I was there to help them..." She smiled sadly, looking down in embarrassment. "If you hadn't been there, I might've lost Lisanna. Elfman would've completely lost himself."

I was silent, simply listening to what she was saying. Truthfully, I haven't fully prepared myself for situations like this. I mean, seriously, how often do you have people confess to you?

"At first, I wasn't completely sure if what I felt for you was really love, but after yesterday...I know without a doubt, now, Lyall. I love you. I won't hesitate anymore, I wan to be more than just your friend." Mira said softly, her voice was unwavering.

"Are you sure?" I asked her gently.

"Yes." She didn't hesitate at all. "I want to be-" I quickly interrupted her, leaning forward and planting my lips onto hers. Lifting my free hand, I placed it onto her cheek and held her against me. Slowly and gradually, I moved our lips in tandem, then she began to reciprocate. The two stayed in that position, relishing in the soft, intimate kiss I had initiated.

When we broke apart, I couldn't help but smile at the slightly surprised expression on her face. Then a smile broke out on her face, "You just have to have the first move, don't you?"

I smirked, "It's what I do. Someone has to take the initiative."

"Does this mean...?" Mira asked hesitantly.

I sucked in a breath, "Well, if you're patient to deal with a stubborn idiot like me, then I guess so." I smiled lightly.

Mira shook her head, "'Stubborn' definitely. An 'idiot'? Maybe." She squeezed my hand tightly and looked to the side. Upon seeing the clock, Mira frowned. "I have to go. I promised Lisanna I would go shopping with her. Apparently, Master Makarov is cutting me off from jobs for a few days after what happened..."

"Well, I don't think I'll be cleared to go anymore jobs until I'm healed, so it looks like we're both stuck." I smiled widely to reassure her. Pushing myself up to an upright sitting position, I released a small, strained breath. Tilting my head to the side, I licked my lips, "Since we're both free for an unknown amount of time, how about you go with me to that restaurant a few blocks down from the guild?"

Mira perked up, "Oh, you mean the one that just opened up?"

"Where else?" I replied, "I've seen it a few times on my way to and from the guild and it's caught my eye."

She was silent for a moment, then smiled, "Sure. I'd like that. When do you want to go?"

I placed a hand on my chin in thought, "Tomorrow?"

"Will you be able to walk?"

I arched a brow at her, "If I can fight with a broken rib or two, then I can definitely go on a date with a beautiful woman with a fracture. Besides, with what I just drank, I'll be healed up in no time." Pausing, I shrugged, "Though, I'll probably be sore as hell."

She flushed at my compliment, but grinned, "Then I guess it's a date. Just be careful, though."

I rolled my eyes, "C'mon, this is me we're talking about." Mira gave me a pointed gaze, to which I nodded lightly. "Yeah, this _is_ me we're talking about. I'll be careful."

Mira stood and squeezed my hand, "Well, I need to go..." She released my hand and turned, walking slowly away from me.

Normally, if I were in a condition like this, I'd just stay and watch her leave; however, I'd like to believe that I've changed somewhat since my arrival here. Making sure to keep quiet, I turned to the side and pushed my legs out of bed. Flexing them lightly to get feeling back, I stood and silently strode towards Mira, catching her as she reached the door out of the infirmary. When she grabbed the doorknob, I grabbed her other hand and pulled her back towards me, turning her body to face me. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I held her against me as I kissed her again. She was surprised at first, but quickly melted in my arms, returning the kiss with equal fervor.

Unfortunately, the two of us were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Lisanna standing on the other side. The youngest Strauss siblings was bandaged of up slightly, nothing too bad, but she seemed to partially looking away from the two of us, a small blush on her face. "I hate to interrupt, but nee-chan and I have to go..."

I broke away from Mira, smiling lightly.

Mira's face was flushed heavily, her breath slightly sped up. After a moment of silence, she shook her head and said, "O-oh, I kind of forgot..." She almost sounded sheepish.

Shaking my head with a smile, I watched as the two of them left. Walking back to my bed, I let out a small laugh. "I can't help but feel anxious about these next few months. Something tells me they're going to be a little crazy."


End file.
